The Beauty of Senses Inuyasha X Reader
by Viv Akiza
Summary: You're an artist with a gift of drawing people perfectly by a feel of their face , but nothing is without a price. You meet a demon named Inuyasha one day with eyes of gold and with a passive and rude attitude, a rough meeting indeed. But sometimes the eyes cannot see what is hidden beneath one's facade. Our senses are our gifts, can we use them to reveal what his hidden underneath
1. A Simple Drawing

I was born to a family of middle to low status, emphasis on the "was". Now, I'm a woman of the age of 24 by myself. My parents has passed away when I was 15, thus making me an orphan. I'm an only child, but I was well loved by my parents before their passing. I have an easy going personality, I want to help others as much as I can, but I will not stand by and watch things happen that I see as wrong. I was taken in by an orphanage, but now that I am of age, I decided to go out and live my own life. When my parents were still here, I learned a lot about life from them. Not to mention both of my parents are artists, and being their child, they taught me how to draw. My father also taught me how to make things such as bracelets, necklaces and so on. My mother taught me how to draw people, and because of their teaching I have become an artist myself. With their artistic legacy existing within me, I now use my artistic skills for a living. It's enough for me to get by, I'm able to live a decent life with clothes on my back and food to eat. I have a specialty of drawing a person by feeling their facial features just once, I don't need to look at them as I draw afterwards. It's a practice that I have to have if I want to continue in this field of artistry, it's a bit sad to be honest. You see, I have a genetic trait inherited from my father's side. As I get older, I will start to lose my eyesight, my father lost his eyesight at the age of 36. The funny thing is, I can draw other people perfectly, but I can't draw myself. It's really difficult, I can never get my own features accurately. It's a mystery but it's not like I draw myself all the time or have the need to draw myself. I'm 24 now but my eyesight is starting to lose its clarity, things are becoming fuzzy bit by bit. The doctor said that I will lose my sight by 26, it's devastating but it shouldn't stop me from doing what I love and need to do. There are many people out there in the world with blindness and born with handicaps but they are still living life to the fullest. I should to. A long time ago, there was a battle over a magical orb called the "Sacred Jewel" that was said to be very powerful. Demons fought over it, but eventually the battle ended and the land was peaceful once again, I'm not quite familiar with the legend because that was way before my time, about 50 years ago to be precise. An event that happened 50 years ago has made the land as it is now, I'm thankful that things turned out alright. I'm setting up my sketch corner in a quiet part of the street on my village one morning, I usually draw till late afternoon or evening. I can still see so I have to take the time to live out my life with colors as much as I can, the people in the village knows me as the "Blindfolded Artistic Butterfly" it's a nickname that I feel is a bit much for me but I can't stop a village of people from thinking of something. I like to talk to my clients as I sketch, it helps me complete the missing aspect of the portrait, the personality aspect of the still picture. They say a picture tells a story, and I love that quote.

"Can you make a drawing for my son_?" One of the mother of the village that comes twice every year asks me.

"Of course, it's that time of year again, a start of a new year and your son has aged another year. I remember when he first came here 6 years ago, now look at him." I say giving her now 14 year son a good look.

"Indeed, having a picture of him every passing year has become a ritual now for me, it gives me the opportunity to relive the moment when he was younger." She says with a smile.

"I understand what you mean, a nice memory to look back on. Shall we start?" I ask the boy.

He nods and I can see a slightly fuzzy smile. I clean my hands with a wet towel and then I gently touch his facial features, from his hairline, to his forehead, his brow bone and down his face to his chin, I study his face carefully at the same time. After about a minute or so I finally step back and sit down in my chair, I turn around so my back is facing them. I set up my clean white rice paper and my charcoal stick, I then start to sketch out the boy's features one at a time. It takes me about 10 minutes to finish one drawing, it's not long but I make sure that the result will satisfy my client.

"So what have you been doing lately?" I ask the boy.

"I've been helping out my family with chores and things, been playing with friends and stuff as well." I hear him reply back to me from behind.

"You must be a very considerate boy aren't you? Making sure to help out as much as you can around the house." I ask him again with a chuckle.

"Haha, I guess so?" He replies with a soft laugh.

"Shy isn't he?" I ask the mother.

"He is, hope he will become more confident in the years to come." She replies.

"I'm sure he will." He say to her with a smile.

A few more minutes goes by and I finally finish, I sign my name and turn to look at the boy. I'm pretty satisfied, everything looks just right, since I've been drawing him every year for the past 6 years I should know every feature on his face by now.

"It looks just like him_, I've always believed in your talent. Thank you so much for another year of your work." She says handing me the coins.

"And thank you for your years of patronage. I'm happy that my work can make my clients happy and satisfied. It makes everything more worthwhile." I reply back to her.

"It will always, how is your eyesight lately?" She asks me.

"Well, it seems to be deteriorating slowly bit by bit, things are becoming fuzzy but I can still see. Thank you for your concern." I say to her with a smile.

"I see, if I can help out with anything please let me know." She says holding my hand.

"Please, you don't have to. Just knowing that you appreciate my work is more than enough. Thank you." I say with a bow.

"Alright, but still don't hesitate to ask." She says.

I give her a nod. I bid them goodbye and they leave for home. The sun is starting to set, I have sketched about 4 people today since late morning. It's not much but even one is more than enough.

"I should probably start packing." I think to myself.

I start to put away my charcoal stick, and proceed to fold up my chair.

"Hmm, if you don't mind me asking, are you the talented "Blindfolded Artistic Butterfly?" A voice asks me from behind.

I stop what I'm doing to see who has asked me that. It's a man, he looks about late 60's or early 70's. He's wearing a dark blue and purple monk outfit, he has dark grayish hair tied in a short ponytail in the back. He carries a staff with gold rings, he has a friendly smile with a few crows feet on the edge of his eyes. He also has a slight beard on his fair skin.

"I always feel that nickname is a bit over the top for me but yes, I am. Can I help you?" I reply him with a light chuckle.

"Ah, a friend and I are from out of town, we wanted to look around the village and I happened to see a young woman holding a drawing with her son beside her. I asked who drew such lovely picture and she told me about you. He answers me.

"Oh, I see, nice to meet you. Please, call me_, and you are?" I introduce myself with a bow.

"_ lovely name. I'm Miroku, I am a monk. You are lovely as aspected of a butterfly. Tell me, why are you called the "Blindfolded Butterfly?" He asks me.

"Ah you see, I specialize in portraits. When I draw though, I don't look at the person that I'm drawing, I turn my back towards them. Almost like I'm blindfolded." I explain to him.

"I see, but how would you draw them then? Do you look at them once and it is etched into your memory?" He goes on.

"Something like that, I touch the person's face and make sure that I have all the features down accurately. While giving the person a proper look at the same time." I say.

"Now I understand. A very special talent indeed, but if you don't mind me asking. If it offends you, then you do not need to reply. Is your vision perhaps failing you slightly?" I asks me.

My eyes goes wide slightly at his pinpoint guess, I find my composure and give a slight nod.

"Quite an accurate guess, yes, my vision is failing me bit by bit. How did you know?" I ask him curious.

"It's not difficult to see, you're eyes squints occasionally. Something that a person with normal vision would not do. How old are you to be having sight problems." He sighs.

"Ah, I guess nothing slips pass a person like yourself. I'm 24, and it's a genetic trait. My father passed it down to me, it can't be helped." I say reply with a soft smile.

"Such a shame, but sometimes, you gain something despite losing something. You have a beautiful talent that will follow you to the end of time, it's something that will never leave you." He says with a nod of his head.

I smile and nod in agreement, he is right. I guess I always knew but his words enlightened it in my mind once again.

"There you are Miroku, you ran off without telling me where you were going." A sudden voice says out of nowhere.

It surprised me slightly, it sounds a bit rash, sharp, deep and somehow lifeless sounding. We both look around, and then from the side a figure walks towards us, immediately the figure stands out from everything else. It's a young man with peculiar features, he has fair skin, hip length silver white hair, golden amber eyes, sharp canine teeth and two protrusions on either side of his head like dog ears. He is wearing a fire red kimono outfit with a sword on his hip, although peculiar but he looks celestial. I'm immersed in his appearance and aura.

"Sorry about that,_ this is my friend, Inuyasha, he is a half demon. Inuyasha, this is an artist that I happen to come upon, her name is_. Also known as "The Blindfolded Artistic Butterfly." Miroku introduces us to each other.

"Nice to meet you," I say with a bow.

"Blindfolded Artistic Butterfly?" A bit of an exaggerated nickname don't you think?" Inuyasha says with a slight furrow in his brows.

I feel my mind going blank and I'm dumbstruck, he is straightforward isn't he? I'm at a lost for words, he's a piece of work I can tell. I'm taken aback by his words upon first meeting, it ticked me off slightly but I try to keep my calm. How rude of him. He looks celestial but his personality sure says otherwise, I bite the inside of my mouth to keep myself from saying my mind.

"I suppose it is slightly, but it's what everyone knows me as so there's nothing that I can do about it. I can't stop a whole town from thinking of something, surely you know that feeling. " I answer him.

Talking to Inuyasha may seem like an obstacle, he's like the exact opposite of Miroku. Inuyasha seems inpatient and quite angry. He seems irrational and arrogant, but somehow you want to talk to him, not because you want to, but because you want to argue with him and see who will come out victorious.

"Sorry about my friend Inuyasha here, you see he has gone through a lot in the past few years. My apologies if he offended you." Miroku says stepping in.

"Shut up Miroku." Inuyasha says.

I look at Inuyasha with wide eyes, does he talk to everyone like that? Miroku looks old but I'm assuming Inuyasha is older than he looks if he can talk to Miroku like that, then again, he's a demon so it shouldn't be surprising if he's 600 years old but looks 30.

"No not at all, uhm, so conversation aside, did you want me to do a sketch for you or?" I ask Miroku.

"Oh, well I don't need one, I just wanted to see who the talented artist is, but I think a portrait for Inuyasha will be nice since we're here." Miroku says turning to Inuyasha.

Inuyasha glares at Miroku and then looks back at me. His golden amber eyes are like molten gold as he looks at me.

"I don't necessarily need one, but I like to see just how good you are if they say that you are an "Artistic Butterfly." Inuyasha says.

"Is it a challenge?" I ask him in return.

"Does it sound like a challenge to you? If it sounds like a challenge then let it be. With this, I'll decide if the title fits you or not. Are you willing to take this challenge?" Inuyasha asks me with a huff.

It's like he's pushing me into a corner, it feels a bit uncomfortable, but being an artist I have to hold on to my pride. I look right back at Inuyasha. Confidence filling my heart.

"I am" I respond back to him not wanting to back down.

Inuyasha lets out a hmph, and folds his arms across his chest. His dog ears folding back slightly. I take out my charcoal stick and a clean piece of paper, I clean my hand on my towel and walk up to Inuyasha. He looks at me slightly surprised, his eyes looks at me as his ears twitches.

"What are you doing?" He asks me with alert in his voice.

"I need to get a feel of your facial features so that I can sketch you." I explain to him.

"I don't want you to touch me." He tells me stepping back with a furrow in his brows.

"Then how am I going to prove to you that the nickname fits me? My hands aren't dirty, I cleaned them if that's what you're worried about." I say to him slightly irritated at his evasive personality.

We just glared at each other for a while, then I hear someone clearing their throat beside us.

"Sorry_, Inuyasha is the type to speak before thinking. Inuyasha here isn't a bad or scary demon, he's just impulsive." Miroku says stepping in for him again.

Scared of Inuyasha? Never had that thought crossed my mind, he's not scary, he just kind of ticks me off that's all with how he talks. I kind of forgot that he's a demon to be honest, his personality aspect erased everything else.

"You don't need to stand up for him good sir, I have a good grasp on what type of person or in his case, type of demon this Inuyasha is by now." I say to Miroku as I glare at this demon with eyes of gold.

"Well since you don't want one Inuyasha, then how about for someone else. You can choose." Miroku says turning to Inuyasha.

Inuyasha side glances at Miroku and then back at me with his cold glare, he clicks his tongue and then lets out a loud exhale.

"Fine. Can you draw a person by a person's description?" He asks me flatly.

"Yes." I reply just as flat.

"Then get ready." He tells me.

He is so rude, but I oblige regardless since it's a challenge. I sit down across from him, he sits down on a chair with his arms crossed. Miroku sits down beside us, I have my easel in front of me with my charcoal stick in my hand and my blank rice paper in front of me.

"Go ahead." I say signalling him that I'm ready whenever he is.

I look at Inuyasha, he is looking slightly downwards. He looks deep in thought, his facial expression is blank as he stares out in front of him. He looks like a completely different person.

"Inuyasha sir?" I say his name trying to get his attention.

"Inuyasha, you alright?" Miroku asks his friend.

"Huh? Oh." Inuyasha responds with a jolt as he finally seem to come back to reality.

His eyes falls back onto me, this time he doesn't look menacing like it was a few minutes ago. He looks slightly nostalgic.

"I'm ready. You can start telling me about this person." I say to him.

Inuyasha let's out an exhale and his ears droops slightly, I realize that he's just like a dog, his ears expresses his feelings.

"She has long black shoulder length hair with fluffy bangs, she has fair skin and big brown eyes that are close to black in occasion. A beautiful smile and a pointed chin." He describes bit by bit.

I start to sketch out exactly how he describes this person as accurately as I can. As I listen to him describe this person, his arrogant filled voice seem to have vanished, it is calm and filled with a sorrowful tone. As I sketch and do my thing, I feel my pant up irritation towards Inuyasha easing slowly bit by bit. I glance at him once in a while, his expression looks lost and slightly melancholic. How can a person so brash change into a completely different person in just seconds?

"She was annoying and somewhat stubborn, but deep down she is someone filled with compassion and strength. We didn't start out on a good note but eventually we have come to understand each other. I use to find her irritating but eventually everything about her has become so important to me... even now." Inuyasha continues to describe this girl.

I shade in her dark hair and the shadows on her face. She has beautiful big round eyes filled with life, a high nose and nice shaped mouth. Her bangs are full and fluffy while the majority of her hair is long and sleek, I gave her the pointed chin and slim figure that he told me. After 10 minutes or so, I finally finish.

"Wow, it looks just like her." Miroku says from the side.

I step back to look at my piece, indeed it's a beautiful piece. I have incorporated her personality into my strokes as I sketched her, she seem to jump out with her kind smile.

"I'm done Inuyasha." I say turning to the drawing for Inuyasha to see.

Inuyasha lifts his head and looks at the sketch, his golden eyes widens slightly but softens. His ears sticks up as he looks at the drawing. A gentle smile shows on his face as he gazes at the sketch, he doesn't say anything.

"How is it? Is it close to how you described her?" I ask him.

"Very." He responds quietly.

"Who is it if you don't mind me asking?" I ask him.

"It's someone dear to him, that's all that we can tell you. Sorry_." Miroku says.

"No need to apologize, I understand. Didn't mean to pry. Here you go Inuyasha, hope I passed the challenge." I say to him handing the sketch to him.

Inuyasha takes it and glazes his eyes over the drawing. He then sighs and looks back at me, his eyes seem to hold a different feeling as he looks at me.

"I guess I approve of your nickname, butterfly." He says with a smirk.

"How much for your work?" Miroku asks.

I look at him and then back at Inuyasha, he is still gazing at the drawing with a tint of longing in his eyes. I realize that this drawing means a lot more than just an image on a paper. To me, it was a simple everyday drawing, but to him, it seem to mean so much more, a memory perhaps?

"Since you're just passing through this town, I'll give it to you as a gift and souvenir. As long as it satisfies the client, it's enough for me." I tell him declining the payment.

"Are you sure? We weren't exactly respectful clients to begin with." Miroku says with surprise in his voice.

"It's fine. Hey Inuyasha." I say turning to him.

Inuyasha looks up from the sketch back at me, his eyes landing on mine slightly surprised.

"Make sure to treasure that sketch, I put my pride on the line for it you know." I say to him with a teasing smile.

"Don't push it...Thanks though". He says with an annoyed expression but ending with a slight upward tug on the edge of his lips.

"We will be going then, it was nice meeting such a talented young artist, wish you a future filled with beauty." Miroku says.

"Thank you for the blessing Monk Miroku." I reply with a bow.

I give Inuyasha one final look, he is still gazing at the drawing. The two of them then walk away into the distance. The evening sun is starting to set by the second, Inuyasha's fire red kimono sways as he walks, his white hair shifts side to side accompanying each of his step. Inuyasha is brash and impulsive, his words may make you feel uncomfortable, but I think there's more to him than what you can see on the surface. Everyone has a facade, and upon meeting someone like Inuyasha, I want to uncover that facade of his. None of my clients has looked at their drawing like Inuyasha looked at his, he's different from everyone else. I don't think it's because he's a demon , there's something in his eyes that tells me, that he has carried a lot of unspoken feelings. Deep feelings that are kept in the dark. Who is the woman in the drawing? A dear friend or perhaps a lover? Whoever it is, it seem to keep him chained and preventing him from moving forward. Inuyasha gave a very bad first impression, he was arrogant, brash, impulsive, rude, but I caught a glimpse of a different side of him. I don't know when I'll see him again, or if I'll ever see him again. Then again, if I see him in the future, will I be able to see his face before my vision completely fades away? Not to mention, his rude behaviour is making me rethink that thought, it seem to be who he is for the majority of the time. I don't know how much I can tolerate his brash personality again before I lose my own self control. I suppose time will tell. If we meet, then let it be, if we don't it doesn't matter. I think meeting him once was enough for the time being, I wonder how the people around him tolerate him. It's a wonder. I finish packing up my things and head back to my small house that I reside in alone. The moon is slowly rising as the sky is laced in fiery orange and brown with tints of violet.


	2. One Step Too Much

I take a step forward, the morning breeze brushes against my face as I inhale the fresh scent of nature. The sun is warm on my skin and I smile at the openness that is in front of me, I then let out an exhale. Tapping sounds follow each of my footsteps as I walk, the sound of wood on the ground. As I take another step, I stop as the sound of wood hits something and echos in my ear. I sigh and turn my body slightly and continue walking, the tapping of wood following me. It's been 3 years since then, 2 years since I last saw colors of the world around me. Now I see nothing, my lost of sight has finally caught up to me as the doctors said, I'm 27 now and everyday is still a challenge despite losing my vision last year. Since my father taught me how to make things, I have carved myself a wooden walking stick before the colors of emptiness took over. I have carved a butterfly onto the top of the walking stick, my mother told me long ago that the butterfly symbolizes transformation, the butterfly also symbolizes the myth and art which has become a part of me. Now everywhere that I go, I use the walking stick to help guide me and help go on the right direction. I'm still pretty new to this, but I'm slowly getting the hang of it. Life moves on, I can't be stuck in a world that was. Although I can't see anymore, but I can still feel, smell, touch and hear and I suppose that is enough. Although my sight is gone but it did not diminish my artistic talents, because I have never really relied on my sight to draw a person. I am still the "Blindfolded Artistic Butterfly" that everyone knows, it's just that now I am truly blind. I have widened my spectrums and started to draw pictures by a person's description, I was never good at those, but after that day from the challenge by Inuyasha, I have realized that with practice, I can do it. People come to me to draw them pictures and people daily, it makes me happy to know that people appreciate the beauty of art.

"Are there any ways for the doctors to help regain your sight somehow?" The voice of the mother of the son that I draw every year echos in my ear.

"The doctors tried, but they said that there's nothing that they can do, if it was an accident or some sort, then perhaps it could be fixed. Unfortunately, it's a genetic thing that developed over time. There's nothing that they can do." I reply back to her as I feel my eyes travelling around in the emptiness as I turn to the direction of her voice.

The charcoal in my hand moves across the smooth rice paper as I draw out the line of the mouth, the mother and her son has come by for another year of a portrait sketch. As I felt his face earlier, he has matured. His facial features feels more defined, no longer a child. It just tells me that time has passed and this is reality, I smile as I hear the light scratching of the charcoal moving across the surface.

"I see, but nonetheless, you're still the beautiful and talented_, the "Artistic Butterfly" that you are. Life must be hard for you right now since everything is still foreign but I can promise you that it will become better if you just focus on the good." She tells me.

I feel her hand resting on my arm gently, it's soothing, almost like a motherly comfort. I nod in response as my eyes glazes over the space in front of me. I finish the sketch along with the shading of the dark and light, though I can't see, I can still feel. The charcoal over the paper has a different texture, a dusty feeling, it allows me to keep track of where I am on the paper. I take it off my wooden easel and hold it out towards the direction that I assume is where the mother is standing. I feel the paper slipping out of my hand, the rustling of the paper filling my ears.

"Lovely and perfect as always. I have never lost my faith in your work," She says with admiration in her voice.

In these few years, I have learned to decipher how a person is feeling by the tone of their voice and how they speak their words. Yes, she said that she admires my work, but she is telling the truth. Her tone of voice is lively and has a joyful rhythm to it, her words feel controlled and reinforced. Usually, we would look at the the person's expressions to see how they feel, but I have learned to see from their voices. I smile at her words and appreciation, She then hold my hand and opens it up upwards, she then places a few cool objects into my hands, coins as the clinking sounds fills my ears.

"Thank you for your years of hard work, I hope the colors of the world will fill your vision in the near future." A young and mature voice of a male says to me.

"Thank you, and I hope that you will continue to grow into a handsome young man as the years go by." I reply back to him.

The voice belongs to the son, I take a deep breath and turn my head up towards the sky.

"What's wrong?" She asks me.

"I kind of want to leave the village, go out and feel the openness of the land. Feel the wind brush against my face and draw out what I can hear and feel. I suppose the only thing that is preventing me from going through with this decision is that of my disability." I answer her.

"We understand, it feels a bit suffocating doesn't it? Then go for it, follow what your heart tells you and go, but please, look out for yourself. Fear shouldn't keep you from taking a step into a possible future. Our eyes is our most important sense, for you, you can only rely on the other 4. Use them to help you get through everyday, stay safe and stay you. Hope that when you come back, you will become an even greater artist. Sometimes, a disability can be a gift." She tells me.

"I will, thank you for giving me the push. You're right, life is filled with ups and downs, but it shouldn't keep us down or keep us from staying in one spot. I won't allow my blindness from keeping me here for the rest of my life, I will live out my life." I reply back with a smile.

"Good. We shall be going now." She replies back to me.

She gives me a warm hug and she and her son leaves, their footsteps fading as they walk further and further away. I put my charcoal stick back in the wooden box and put away my easel, I then pick up my butterfly walking stick and head back home. I have been saving up some money for a while now, hoping that one day I can use them to help expand my horizon. The wooden stick click clacks on the ground as I tap it to the sync of my steps, If I'm going to leave, I'll leave tomorrow, I'll let the wind take me wherever it may be. The village is my home since I was young, but I can't always stay home, I want to start a new. There's nothing for me here anymore I feel. I can feel the nature of the earth and perhaps earn some money by doing street art in villages, I smile at the thought of what could be waiting for me the moment I exit out the village. On the way home, I buy some art supplies, charcoal sticks and paper. I also buy a strap so that I can strap my art supplies onto my back or waist, after all of that are done with I head home to rest. I make a simple dinner for myself and head to bed, I place my wooden walking stick against the wall and I slide into my single futon. My eyes moves around as I feel the soft and coolness of the silk covers, I can hear the crickets chirping outside in a quiet lullaby and I know that it's time for me to end the day off. There's no point for me to light candles, because all I see is emptiness, no light and no darkness. I close my eyes anyway, just like how I use to when I could see everything. I let out an exhale, this is my life, I don't resent my father for giving me this genetic disability. I'm thankful to both of my parents for giving me the alternatives and skills to carry on when things are hard. I clear out my mind and let the quietness that surrounds me lull me into a slumber, when I come to, I can feel the warm sunlight shining through from my window. It touches my face and wakes me up, I open my eyes but there's no light to indicate that it's morning. Only the warmth of the sun can tell me that, I stretch and get up, I fold up my futon and place it against the corner of the room, I place my hands on the cool wooden walls that surrounds me as it give me a support. I follow the walls to where I placed my walking stick, with the tapping of the wood on wood, I start my day like usual. I eat breakfast and change into my kimono, I pack up my art supplies and strap them to my back. The rolling of the paper puts eagerness and anticipation in my heart, I also strap in place a wooden container that holds water onto my back as well. I tuck in the small sack of money into my kimono as I get ready to leave the house, and leave the village. I put on my sandals, the rustling of my kimono and the friction of my sandals and the wooden floorboard fills the room. I turn around and place my hand on the wall again as I roam the space in front of me with my eyes, I smile.

"I'll be back, hope that the place won't change while I'm away. Then again, I won't be able to tell would I?" I say with a light hearted chuckle.

With that, I close the door to my house and I turn around. The art supplies on my back shifts as I walk, it's not too heavy but it does put a bit of weight on me. The gravel underneath my sandals crunches as I walk, my arm moves in front of me as the walking stick acts as an extension of my arm. I feel my eyes moving as I walk and as I listen to the sounds around me, birds chirping above and the sounds of people out in the streets. How lively, but I'll be away from them for a while, I hope the world outside will be just as lively. Some people that knows me greets me as I walk by, the sounds of children's laughter fills the streets and in my ears. After a few minutes, the sounds finally starts to die down. With the help of some villagers, I finally found the exit. As I stand at the entrance, thoughts begin to emerge in my mind. I could never find my way back here again if I leave, but would I really mind? I clench my left hand into a ball and I bite my lower lips, a place that I called home for all my life I could never step back into the entrance again because I will lose my way without my eyes. I then feel the gentleness of the morning breeze brushing against my arm and face, carrying the stray strands of my hair around me. I'll be fine, because I have courage. My remaining 4 senses will help me, they will direct me into the right direction, I have come this far in this decision, I shouldn't back down. I close my eyes and give myself a mental push, I then open my eyes again to the space in front of me that I know is the open plains. With my walking stick in my hand I take the first step into the outside world. The sound of rustling leaves and the chirping of the birds guides me forward as I walk on the gravelled road that leads to the unknown, I don't know what lies ahead but I'm not afraid. I feel alive out here in the open, I can smell the fresh grass after a quiet night, the air filling up my lungs everytime that I breathe, why didn't I do this sooner? It's a whole new experience, and it's a beautiful experience that only I can give myself. As I walk I would occasionally stop and listen, the whoosh of the high winds feels soothing. As an artist, you have to let your imagination run free. I touch the ground beneath my feet and my surroundings, the blades of grass sifts through my fingers one by one. I would sit down in the open plains and take out my charcoal and paper, I then draw out what I have touched and what I would assume lies beyond the horizon. I didn't care if my drawing turned out into something completely different because this is all so new to me. I feel the warmth of the sun changing bit by bit telling me that a day is coming to an end soon, I have come upon some villagers from a nearby town and they guided me back so that I can have a place to stay for the night. The first day goes by smoothly, I took the evening to stroll around town and getting familiar with it. I stocked up on some art supplies from art stalls, I have done some sketches for some villagers who were curious to see my art. Soon enough the day ends, and I close my eyes into completely nothingness again. I have spent and I have earned, it was enough for me. The next day I continued on my solo travel, the endless sounds of nature's beauty accompanies me once again. As I listened to the rhythmic breezes of the cool wind, I realized that although I'm blind, I still travelled quite far since yesterday. How wonderful, when there is a single path, you can't get lost if you just follow it. Like yesterday, I travelled and I drew. I drew the trees, the sky and the mountains in the distance that lines the horizon that separates the blue sky and green earth. Each drawing is different, an artwork can never be recreated exactly like the first one. That, is what makes art beautiful and a wonder. My walking stick clacks on the ground as I walk, the warmth of the sun has diminished telling me that evening is coming. I need to find a place to rest, unfortunately, I don't seem to feel any signs of civilization nearby, perhaps the next village is another day away? Although the sun is setting but the night isn't cold, I turn slightly to the side, off the main road and into the grass. I walk in an angle, because that way I am still heading towards the right path but as I continue I'll be walking to the side as well. I'm hoping that there will be a tree nearby, and yes there is. My walking stick has hit something hard, I knock on it a few times, a solid tack tack sound fills the space around me. I put my hands out and I touch the surface, it's rough and dry, I immediately know that it's a tree by my memory of what a tree feels like. I untie my things from my back and I slide down the tree trunk with my hands as support, I sit down on the soft grass. I take off my outer layer of my kimono and I drape it over myself as a cover and I lay my head on the stack of rolled up rice papers, thus serving as my pillow. No fire is needed since I won't be able to see anyway, I feel my eyes wondering around as I listened. The chirping of crickets occupies the plains not far away, how calming. It's my own beating heart and the serene feeling that surrounds me, and eventually it carries me into sleep. I open my eyes, nothing. But like always, I can feel the the warm sun shining down. I sit up and stretch, a bit uncomfortable to be sleeping outside but it's a first for everything and I enjoy the nature around me. I feel the cool morning grass beneath until I find my walking stick, I place it on my lap and I slide my arms into the sleeves of my kimono, the silk fabric glides along my hands feel so nice. The large roll of paper didn't dent at all, thank goodness. I stand up with the support of the large tree trunk, I inhale deeply. How fresh the air is.

"Another day of exploring." I say to myself with a smile.

I strap my art supplies onto my back, I then turn to the direction that the path leads to and I walk through the tall grass, the rustling of each blade of grass echos through the vast field. After walking for a while, I can hear the faint sound of flowing water in the distance. I turn my body towards the sound, I smile as I hear the sound of something else besides the wind. With my walking stick in front of me I head to where the sound is coming from, as I close the distance the flow of the water becomes more evident, the grass on the ground has slowly shifted into a hard surface with small pebbles. The rush of the sound and the chirping of the birds above makes the area sound so celestial, so different. I begin to wonder what the ocean would feel like and sound like. The tack tack sound my wooden stick makes on the rocky ground soon disappears, and I know that I'm at the edge of the stream. The sound of flowing water is just in front of me, I bend down and place my hand in the water, I slowly descend my fingers in, at first I don't feel it but then it hits me, the coolness of the liquid, it flows against my fingers and sifts pass the spaces. How refreshing it feels, I place my whole hand in it and I close my eyes. My body shivers slightly at the coolness as I indulge my mind in this moment, letting my sense of feel take over, the sun is warm, I suppose I could take a quick wash. I stand up and I untie the art supplies from my back and place it on the ground, I then place my walking stick beside it and then I shed my kimono. I walk to the edge of the stream and I step in slowly, when my foot touches the bottom, I can feel the small pebbles at the sole of my foot. It's slightly painful but it's tolerable, I then lower my body into the stream, goosebumps rises on my skin. I lean back against the edge and I close my eyes, how relaxing. I inhale and exhale, I run my hand along my bare arms and body as I let the flowing water cleanse me. After a while I get out and dress myself, I continue on with my travel. I can feel the heat of the sun slowly changing, becoming warmer thus telling me that it's afternoon when the sun is the warmest. I sit down in the grass after a while and I take out a piece of paper and my charcoal stick, I begin to draw out the stream, and the trees that surrounds the area. I get up and begin to walk again, my walking stick swishes in the grass as I move it around giving me a grasp of what is in front of me. As I walk further, I begin to sense something big in front, no sooner, my walking stick hits something unexpected. Tack tack sound again, as I tap my stick against it, the force causes vibration to flow through my hand. I retreat my stick and put my hands out, I slowly move forward, and my hands comes in with rough surface. As I move my hand around I realize that it's a tree trunk.

"A Tree? By itself in the field? When all the others are in the forest? Peculiar." I say to myself.

I shrug and turn away from the tree, I walk away, after a few seconds my walking stick accidentally pokes into the soft ground and it forces itself out of my hand and lands in the grass . Wonderful, I bend down and feel the grass for the walking stick, no sooner the surface of smooth wood is felt. I pick it up ad sure enough it is my walking stick, I get up and begin to walk forward. It should be a straight path through the field, I should be fine for a few seconds. I have to find the top of my walking stick and turn it upright, The wind is pretty strong here I realized, it whooshes across the field preventing me from hearing properly of my surroundings.

"Where is this place?" I ask myself curious.

I continue walking a bit more, but I can hear something behind me in the distant. It seems kind of muffled. The rustling of the grass and wind makes it hard to decipher what that distant sound is. I focus my concentration on it but I continue walking, I turn my head slightly so that my left ear faces the back, I squint my brows as I focus.

"Stop walking!"

It's a voice, its sharp and it sounds concerned by the tone. It's a voice of a man, a young man. Before my brain can comprehend what the person said, my body unconsciously takes one more step. I gasp as I feel my foot fall through empty space and my body lurches as I loses balance and falls forward.


	3. A Change of Direction In The Wind

I feel my mind going blank, My balance has completely shifted forward. My only response is to grip my walking stick tighter and my free hand reaching out to grab onto something, anything. As I piece everything together from the high winds and grassy field, I come to the conclusion that I'm probably on top of a cliff, and I'm about to fall down from it. Whoever that person that called out from the back, I don't think they'll be able to catch me before I fall over. This is it... although I couldn't see anything, I close my eyes anyway. As I do so, I begin to focus as I hear my heartbeat through my ears. The grass rustles behind me, and it gradually becomes louder and louder. Suddenly I feel a grip on my left wrist that has somehow ascended into the air, strong grip on my wrist, at this point most of my body has gone over the cliff. I can feel long sharp nails on my skin from the hold, it's a hand, could it be that person's? The person then yanks on my arm and I feel my whole body getting pulled back with a jolt, I gasp at the suddenness. My body turns sideways and falls backwards, I open my eyes in shock. I then feel an arm wrap around my back pulling me into something, I suddenly feel a presence in front of me. I fall into someone, the person continues to hold onto my wrist as their other arm holds me to them. The hand that held onto the walking stick loosens as I try to grab onto something to balance myself, my walking stick flies out of my hand, but I feel silk fabric soon after. My face lands against to what I assume is the person's chest as a light "oof" escapes my mouth. I can hear breathing next to my ear and soft hair grazing gently against my face. A scent fills my nostrils, a strong scent of that of a clean dog after a bath, it's peculiar but somehow intoxicating. The person feels warm and I kind of feel myself getting lost in their warmth, I can feel my heart pounding in my chest but I also feel safe now. Time seem to stop for a while even though only a few seconds has passed, the person saved me.

"What are you crazy or something? I yelled at you to stop walking but you kept on walking?!" The person suddenly says harshly.

Their voice pulls me back into reality. It's a man's voice, loud, rash, and slightly filled with an arrogant tone. I feel annoyance boil up inside of me all of a sudden, I pull myself away from them and pry his arms off of me. I take a step back and look up, I'm not sure where he is exactly but I'm just going to take a guess that he's in front of me.

"Thank you for saving me, but you don't have to be so harsh, I didn't hear you due to the high winds and I couldn't see." I reply back to them as calmly as I can.

"Ya sure, hearing might have been difficult due to the distance and strong wind but you have eyes, did you not see the cliff in front of you, are you blind?!" He continues.

I lost it, my brows furrows and I feel my eyes wondering around now instead of focusing on one place.

"Yes, I am blind. I can't see, that's what happens to people who are blind! I don't need you to tell me that I'm blind because I know that. Again thanks for saving me and hope you have a good day!" I say raising my voice in anger.

I give a bow and turn to the side a little to walk away from this person, who does he think he is?

"Hey you, wait." He suddenly says.

I stop and turn slightly but not directing my eyes to the direction of his voice.

"What?!" I reply back irritated.

A brief silence falls over the place, the wind whooshes across the field.

"You're the Artistic Butterfly aren't you?" He asks with a calmer tone but his voice isn't lessening my irritation.

My eyes widen slightly at the question, he knows me. I turn my body towards his direction, I furrow my brows slightly. I feel alert.

"Who are you and how do you know me?" I question him.

I can hear rustling of fabric, then the grass, and then it stops.

"So I guessed right, it is you. The little firecracker from years before, you can't recognize my voice? You seemed to be pretty eager to argue with me back then, I'm pretty sure you would have my voice down in memory after that day." I hear him say.

I can tell that he's grinning because his voice is laced with amusement and he finished the sentence off lightly. I furrow my brows even more, he sure knows a lot about what happened that day that I met him. I decided to run through my memories, I argued with him he says. My brows loosens as one person comes to mind, I can only remember one person that I had a bad first impression of. I let out a quiet but irritated exhale, that one person that ticked me off the moment he opened his mouth years ago.

"Inuyasha, you're Inuyasha aren't you?" I ask him back.

"About time you remembered me. I'm a bit disappointed that you forgot." He says with a haughty tone.

I want to smack him right now, I close my eyes and bite my lower lip.

"Ya well, if I can see your face I would recognize you right away. Unfortunately, I can't so it's going to take me a while to know who you are when you don't tell me your name and instead beat around the bush. Besides, after that first encounter with you I hoped that I won't have to deal with someone like you again in the near future. Guess my day couldn't get any worse. Besides, I have a name, it's_." I say looking to the side even though I can't see anything.

"Wow thanks, I appreciate the kindness. So, are you really blind?" He asks me.

I can feel a soft whooshing sound in front of my face and I feel a light breeze and the rustling of fabrics. He is not doing that. I lift my arm up and it hits something, silk fabric touches my arm and I soon realize it's his arm. I feel irritation blazing inside of me again, I whack his arm away from my face.

"Don't take me for a fool alright? Just because I can't see doesn't mean I can't feel. You don't need to wave your hands in front of my face, I'm blind, it's nothing to lie about. I'm pretty sure you can also tell that my eyes aren't focused directly at you since I can't pinpoint where you are. You're so annoying." I say to him trying to control myself but ultimately failed.

There's a brief silence, the gentle wind around us breezes past us.

"Such a shame that you lost your sight, I thought the "Blinded" part of your nickname was just something of your artistic talent, didn't think you would actually become blind." Inuyasha says.

His voice, it lost its arrogant and rash tone again, he sounds sad almost. I feel my anger slowly depleting again, I let out a sigh.

"Ya... it's already been like this for a few years now. It's a genetic thing that I got from my dad's side, I would go blind in my mid to late 20's, and here I am in my late 20's and blind." I explain to him about my disability.

"Hmm, so what are you doing out here away from your village? Shouldn't you be somewhere where you're more familiar with?" He asks me.

"Why can't I got out? Such a inconsiderate question. Yes I'm blind, but I told myself that my blindness shouldn't keep me in one place. So I decided to leave and travel, it's also a way for me to feel the outside world hoping it can help me improve my art." I say to him with a frown.

"Ya well you almost got yourself killed if it wasn't for me." Inuyasha says, his haughty tone coming back.

"Ugh, fine, thanks for saving me. Say what are you doing out here?" I ask him.

There's another moment of silence, and then I hear him letting out a sigh.

"I'm just out here looking at the scenery, it's like the same thing as you exploring." He tells me.

Something in his voice tells me that he's not telling me the truth, he's hiding something, there's a slight nostalgic tone in his voice. I decide to let it go anyway.

"I see, well, I'll be going then. Thanks again for saving me." I say turning to go.

"Where are you going?" He suddenly asks me.

"Somewhere, it doesn't need to concern you. You can do your stuff and I'll do mine. Goodbye." I say with a wave.

"You're walking back the way you came." He tells me.

I stop, ok that's embarrassing. I then hear the grass behind me rustling as I hear footsteps approaching and then stopping beside me.

"Guess you need someone to guide you after all, follow me. My village isn't far from here, I guess you can rest there for the day. I'm going to walk in front, don't talk to me just follow my footsteps." I hear him say to me.

I want to hit him so bad, but I suppose I could have a place to stay tonight.

"Fine, but first... can you help me find my walking stick? I don't know where it went." I ask him.

"Right almost forgot about that wooding stick that you keep whacking stuff with." He mutters.

I hear him walk away, and no sooner I feel him tapping on my left hand with something hard. I grab hold of it and smooth surface touches the palm of my hand, it's the stick. I smile as I feel safe with it again.

"Thanks Inuyasha." I say to him.

"Ya ya, hold on to it and don't lose it again. Come on." He says.

I hear him walk away, and then the stick starts to slide out of my hand. I tighten my grip on it, and I follow after it as it pulls my arms out in front of me. I take a few steps and I realize that Inuyasha is holding onto the other end, he's guiding me. I want to say something but I remember him telling me not to talk to him, it may sound rude but I think he's trying to give me silence so that I can listen for his footsteps and follow after him. I smile, he is rude and arrogant, but I think if you don't understand him it may seem like that. There's still a lot that I don't understand about Inuyasha, but I think if I give an effort I will. It will take time thought, oh yes, a lot a lot of time. The grass sway beneath our feet as I follow after Inuyasha. We walk in silence for about 15 minutes with what I assume, the grass below our feet soon turns into gravel road as the sound changes into crunches, my ears are more alert because I'm in a place where I'm unfamiliar. I continue to follow after Inuyasha, I can sense that we entered through a gate by the change of feel as we walk pass the them. I can hear people talking in the distance, the sounds of children laughing and playing. It seems like a lively village. After walking a few minutes more, we suddenly stop.

"Wait here for a bit." I hear him say to me.

I then feel him let go of the other end of the walking stick, I feel like a dog waiting for their owner. How irritating. It drops to the ground and lands on the dirt ground. I hear his footsteps walking forward and then the sound of curtains lifting, I strain my ears to see if I can hear anything.

"Inuyasha, you're back." A soft voice of a woman says.

I wonder who it is, a friend? I decide to let them take care of their business and stop eavesdropping, I turn my body around and "look" out. I close my eyes and breathe in the air, it's light and fresh. I can smell the faint scent of vegetables and fruits, the sounds of people in the far distance. It's a peaceful village. A minute or two later, the sounds of curtains fills my hearing again.

"Hello dear." The voice of the woman says behind me.

It startled me slightly, I turn around and try to focus my eyes in the direction of where her voice is.

"Hello, I apologize for coming into your village. Inuyasha brought me here." I tell her with a bow.

"Yes, Inuyasha told me himself earlier, there's no need to apologize dear. We're happy to have visitors in our village. I heard from Inuyasha that you're name is_." She says.

She has a kind tone in her voice, warm and inviting. She sounds elderly, almost in her 60's or 70's.

"Yes, my name is_, I'm an artist. Excuse my impoliteness, but may I ask who you are?" I ask her.

"Of yes of course, I forgot to introduce myself as well. Guess my age is catching on, I'm forgetting things. I'm Sango, my husband Miroku and I are the head of the village. Inuyasha here is our friend." She tells me.

My eyes widen in surprise, Miroku? As in the elderly monk that was with Inuyasha that day. She is his wife?

"Oh, I have met Monk Miroku a few years back with Inuyasha, very friendly Monk. It's nice to meet you too Lady Sango." I say to her.

"Oh you have met my husband as well, what a small world. Please just call me Sango, adding "Lady" in front just makes me sound old." She says with a chuckle.

"You are old Sango." I hear Inuyasha blurt out.

I feel my mind going blank and my mouth dropping slightly, wow, he sure is something isn't he?

"Yes, thanks for the reminder Inuyasha, you haven't changed at all since. Don't mind him_, Inuyasha's been rude since we first met him. Come on in, it's the late afternoon now, let's get you something to eat." She says gently taking my arm.

"Oh really, it's alright, I don't want to trouble you." I say to her waving my hand.

"It's not at all, you look like you had a rough morning. You're hair's a mess." She tells me with a chuckle.

My hand quickly touches my hair, I can feel strands of my hair everywhere. I feel my cheeks warming up in embarrassment.

"Just accept the offer, Sango's stubborn like you. She won't stop until you accept." Inuyasha says.

"You brought me here in the first place." I say to him.

"I guess I did huh." He replies with a light airhead tone in his voice.

I want to strangle him, but I loosened up my resistance and allowed Sango to guide me inside to what I assume to be a hut. I can hear fire crackling nearby, it's warm inside. Sango gently guides me to sit down, and I feel the wooden floorboard underneath me. I place my walking stick beside me, I hear footsteps around the hut, a thud, and the clinking sounds of bowls and chopsticks. I feel someone kneeling down beside me and taking my hands gently in theirs.

"Here, please go ahead and eat. We're just about to each lunch as well, my husband should be back in a few hours. It's usually just Inuyasha, Shippo, and I, and sometimes just Shippo and myself because Inuyasha is always out. So it's nice to have some company." Sango tells me.

She places a pair of chopsticks in my hand a bowl of rice in my other, I can feel her placing food in my bowl because it gets slightly heavier each time. I can hear the shifting of plates on the wooden table. She then gets up and I feel her presence leaving beside me.

"Inuyasha can you go get Shippo? I don't know where he is, you can get him with your keen nose. Tell him it's lunch time and we have a visitor." I hear Sango asking Inuyasha.

"Fine, that little brat still going out without telling us where he's going." I hear him mutter.

"You do the same thing Inuyasha, now hurry." I hear Sango say.

I smile at their conversation, I hear him get up with a grunt and his footsteps carry him out of the hut. I then hear Sango sitting down from across the table.

"Excuse my rudeness, and not to offend you or anything, but I can't help but notice that you're unable to see." I hear her ask me.

"Oh no not at all, yes I would assume you would have noticed by now anyway. I'm blind in both eyes. I have been blind for a few years now, it's a genetic thing from my father's side." I tell her like I told Inuyasha.

"I see, but you seem to have coped with it pretty well. You are going out on your own, you also said that you are an artist. Being an artist with blindness is an amazing talent and gift." She says.

"My mother and father taught me a lot of things when I was younger, they taught me how to draw and make things. Unfortunately, they passed away when I was young and I became an orphan. But thanks to their teachings I'm able to use them to my advantage." I say to her quietly.

"Oh I see... I'm sorry to hear that dear." She says with sadness in her voice.

"It's alright. It's all in the past, I know that I can't hold on to what has happened. I have to tell myself to move on with life, tell myself that I can do things despite losing a part of me." I say with a smile.

"You have a lot of confidence and strength in you, you remind me of a dear friend of mine. You are just like her." Sango tells me with softness in her voice.

Suddenly, the curtains moves and I hear footsteps.

"I'm here, let's eat!" I hear a lively voice say.

I put down my bowl on the table and I prop myself up and stand up, I bow to whoever it is.

"You don't have to do that_, please sit down. Shippo, this is_, she's a guest." Sango says.

"Nice to meet you." I greet the person.

"Oh, nice to meet you too, I'm Shippo. Please sit, I didn't mean to startle you." I hear the person say.

"You can sit down now_, you don't have to be so polite with him. Shippo isn't a human, he's fox demon. Not to mention he's shorter than you, despite being almost 80 years old." I hear Inuyasha say flatly.

"You didn't need to add the short part Inuyasha sheesh." I hear the person say.

A fox demon? 80 years old? Really? He sounds like a teenager. I guess this is the difference between humans and demons. I hear Sango standing up and coming over and helping me sit down again, using the table as support, I descend back down onto the wooden floorboard. I then hear two pairs of footsteps walking to the other side of the table and then sitting down across from us, I then hear chopsticks and bowls being lifted and the contact between ceramics. I guess Sango is sitting beside me now, she helps me place the bowl and chopsticks back in my hands again.

"Please go ahead and eat, you don't have to feel like a stranger here." Sango tells me.

"Ya, just eat how you would normally would." I hear Shippo say to me with a kind tone.

"Thank you, but I haven't ate like this in a while." I say to them with a light chuckle.

"Oh really? Why not?" Shippo asks me with a confused tone now.

"I've been eating by myself for the past few years, so it's quite quiet in my house. It's been a while since I ate with people so it's a bit new to me." I reply back.

"Oh.. I see. Well I guess today will be the first day that you get to eat with someone again. It's nice to have someone to talk to when you're eating, it brightens up the atmosphere." Shippo tells me.

"Ya I suppose so." I answer back with a smile.

I noticed that Inuyasha hasn't said anything in a while, but I can tell he's still here, I can hear him eating. I pick up a bit of rice and place it in my mouth, I then realized that I'm pretty hungry.

"So where are you planning on going?" I hear Sango ask me.

"'I'm not sure, I told myself that I would let the wind carry me. Enjoy the world around me wherever it would lead me to. Draw what I feel and such." I reply back.

"You're an artist?" I hear Shippo asks me.

"Yes I am." I answer him with a smile.

"That's cool, I never really met an artist before, I also noticed that you're different than others. So being able to draw like that is amazing." Shippo says with admiration in his voice.

"Thank you, but it's not as easy." I answer back with a chuckle, he knows I'm blind but said it in a different way.

"Nice way to make a person uncomfortable Shippo." I hear Inuyasha say.

"You were way worse Inuyasha." I add.

"Hey, you don't need to turn this on me." Inuyasha fires back.

"At least this young demon here is saying that he knows I'm blind in a way that makes me feel comfortable, you on the other hand waved your hands in front of my face to make sure that I'm actually blind." I remind him.

"Well excuse me for my rudeness, but I wanted to make sure that you won't suddenly give me a death glare out of nowhere." Inuyasha says with sarcasm in his voice.

I feel annoyance boiling up inside of me, but then I realized that there are people beside us. I bow in apology.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude." I quickly say coming back to my senses.

I hear Sango laughing gently beside me.

"No no, it quite alright. It's been a while since I've seen Inuyasha argue with someone this much, it's good to see that there's someone out there who won't deal with his rash behaviour." Sango replies with amusement in her voice.

"Really? You guys don't argue with him despite knowing his personality? You can stand him?" I ask her surprised.

"Well, we try to tolerate him, we've been friends for years, we know what type of person he is now. We use to argue back too but as we got older… we decided that it's best to just let him be. I suppose some serenity is needed at times." Sango replies with a gentle sigh.

"I see…" I reply quietly.

We ate lunch together and enjoyed a nice conversation, with the exception of Inuyasha because every time he opens his mouth it gets on my nerves. Sango guided me around the village for the late afternoon and early evening, telling me about where everything is and such. Time went by pretty fast and no sooner, dinner has come by. Sango prepared dinner for all of us, when we all sat down, Miroku came back as well.

"Oh, why it isn't the beautiful "Artistic Butterfly." Didn't expect you to come to our village." The familiar kind voice says as he enters.

I stand up and bow to him.

"Yes, it's quite unexpected to be here myself as well. It's good to see you again Monk Miroku." I greet him with a smile.

"Indeed, please sit, no need to be so polite. Let's have dinner together." Miroku tells me with a gentle voice.

"Thank you." I reply.

Sango helps me sit back down, I hear chopsticks and bowls being lifted, Sango helps me with mine again. I'm thankful for the hospitality.

"Such a shame, but I noticed the your blindness has finally caught on." Miroku says.

"Yes, it was unavoidable, but I have grown use to it a little by now." I reply back to him with a smile.

"Such a strong spirit, you have endured a lot dear. I'm happy to see that it hasn't brought you down in anyway." He tells me.

"Thank you." I answer back with a bow.

"I assume you know my wife Sango, Shippo, and of course Inuyasha already." Miroku adds.

"Yes I have, they are kind people, especially Lady Sango here. It's feels like a family almost." I say.

"It does feel like it doesn't it? This isn't everyone though." Sango says.

"Oh? Really?" I answer surprised.

"Yes, there are more people, but they are not with us now." Sango adds.

"Yes, Sango and I have a son and twin daughters who are married now and moved out of the village, the previous head of the village was a priestess called Kaede. Sango also has a younger brother named Kohaku and a pet demon cat named Kirara who is currently living with Kohaku. There was also a woman named Rin who left the village and has been living elsewhere, Inuyasha here also has an older half brother named Sesshomaru, and there use to be another priestess who was part of the family… but she left as well. They are all a part of this family, but unfortunately things change and people come and go, thus only leaving us." Miroku says.

Wow, that's a lot of people. Quite a big family, I suppose people change and they move on, I wonder if some of them are still around, if I remember Miroku's appearance the last time that I met him, he looked almost 70 years old, close to 80 perhaps. It's only natural that the people and friends around them are around that age too, and being in this era, living till 80-90 years old can be difficult. So the word "leaving" and "left" has many different interpretations. I would assume the priestess named Kaede would have passed away by now since she was the head of the village before them, and knowing that Sango and Miroku are in their 70-80's, the priestess might have been older than they are, perhaps even older.

"I see." It's still nice to hear that you all have such a strong bond together." I say with a smile.

"Yes, I people in our lives are all we have, it will be bad if our bond is broken." Sango says with a lighthearted laugh.

"Say where is your next destination or what are you planning on doing after?" Shippo asks me.

"I don't know, I guess I'll have to see." I reply back.

"You know, the weather is getting colder by the day, Winter is coming along." Miroku says.

"You're right, the seasons go by so quick doesn't it?" Sango adds in realization.

Winter? Already? I didn't notice, I suppose that I was so busy that I forgot the weather changing. Well, then again, when you can't see the leaves changing from green to golden brown and orange in the Autumn, and the Winter's pure white snow falling onto the ground and melting away as Spring approaches, you start to forget that the seasons even exist.

"Since Winter is coming in, why don't you stay with us for a few months, until Winter melts away?" Miroku suggests to me.

"Ya! I think that will be a great idea!" I hear Shippo add in an excited voice.

It was unexpected, I'll be staying here until Winter passes? That's too long, and I feel like I would be giving them so much inconvenience.

"Sorry?" I ask not quite catching on.

At the same time that I said that, someone else also voiced their opinion. A loud voice that sounds all so familiar.

"You serious?!" Inuyasha's irritated voice echos through the room as he asks Miroku.

He doesn't sound so pleased at the suggestion.


	4. Start of A Tolerable Bonding

"Really, it's quite alright." I say to them.

"You don't need to be so polite, we would like the thought of having some company for a while especially in a season so cold." Sango says with a light laugh.

"I'd feel that I'll give you all such inconvenience, you would have to look after me." I say giving them reasons.

"Nonsense, it will be like looking after a granddaughter. It will be no trouble at all." Miroku chirps in.

"It can be quite dangerous outside in the winter, since you told us you are travelling we are worried that you'll run into trouble." Sango says with concern in voice.

I think about what she says, they do have a point. If I run into trouble, it will be difficult since I don't have my sight. But I still have a bit time, should I stay? I begin to ponder. Conflicted.

"I'm sure she'll be fine on her own, she seems like a human that won't deal with nonsense herself, I mean look at the way she argues with me, she just doesn't stop." I hear Inuyasha say.

"Inuyasha, please, she's a guest." Sango says with a depleted sigh.

"Indeed Inuyasha, try to keep some of your emotions hidden." Miroku adds.

"You two told me to be more open with my emotions, so I do it, and now you're telling me not too. What do you want me to do?" Inuyasha asks annoyed.

"Yes Inuyasha, but some emotions shouldn't be expressed out loud." Sango adds quietly.

Hearing him say that, my mind completely changes. I think someone should put Inuyasha in his place, I don't care if it's behaviour or not. I straighten my back and give them a bow.

"I appreciate the hospitality, and I'll be happy to accept." I say to them.

"That's great, please when you're here just act casual with us. Excuse Inuyasha." Miroku says.

"Thank you." I reply back with a nod.

I hear Inuyasha letting out a depleted groan, and I grin slightly. I guess the reason was to annoy him, it's a payback for him being such a rude demon.

"I'll go prepare a hut for you." Sango says.

"Thank you, but I should pay you for your hospitality." I say to them.

"We do not require pay, it is our duty as head of the village to see that our guests are comfortable." Miroku tells me.

"I understand but you are suggesting I stay for months, it's too long to not require payment. Please it would make me feel better." I push.

There's a brief silence.

"Alright, if you don't mind then, I would like to request a portrait of us. Would that be enough?" He suddenly says.

A drawing, that's the payment? I look at them slightly confused. I hear Miroku let out a chuckle.

"It sounds a bit ridiculous doesn't it, but I think a nice family portrait would be nice. A good memory to keep in the long run. So please would you draw a portrait of us?" Miroku asks.

"Of course, it would be my pleasure." I respond with a nod and a smile.

I retrieve my art supplies, I wet the towel and clean my hands.

"In order to sketch out you all, I'll need to feel your face. So if you don't mind." I tell them explaining my art style.

"Such talent, you can draw us just by feeling our face." Sango says amused.

"Yes, besides, the sense of touch is my only way to draw now since my sight is no longer with me." I reply with a chuckle.

"Right, totally forgot, I'll go first!" I hear Shippo say.

I hear him coming over and sitting down in front of me with the slight whoosh of the air. I put out my hands and try to locate his face.

"Excuse me." I say to him with a smile.

"Not at all, you do your thing." I hear him reply with a cheery tone.

I touch something soft and squishy, I realized that I touched his lips. I glide my thumb against his lips, how smooth. Then from his lips I move my fingers and the palm of my hands to his face and other features, as expected from his voice, his facial structure is that of a teen. Defined but slightly round. He has a high and pointed nose, and still slightly chubby cheeks. I felt his closed eyes, they are big and round with long lashes. Thin eyebrows, pointed ears. I guess demons has pointed ears, my hands then travels to his forehead and hair. He has a big forehead but his fluffy bangs covers them, that back of his hair is tied in a ponytail with a bow. His hair is about neck length and fluffy. My hands then went to his shoulders, they aren't too wide and he's wearing a kimono with a fluffy vest. I'll be drawing from his head to his collarbone so that's all I need.

"All good." I say to Shippo.

'Alright!" He replies.

I hear him get up and someone else sits down.

"I guess I"m next." I hear the voice of Miroku.

"Of course, excuse me." I say to him with a bow.

"Don't be, go ahead." He replies.

I clean my hands again and repeat. If I remember, Miroku has big eyes, but he has crow's feet around them, he has a beard, wrinkles on his forehead. The skin on his face seems loose. He has white hair tied to the back below his neck. A high nose and thick eyebrows. After Miroku, Sango sits down. I clean my hands again and start over. She has soft lips but thinned out, they use to be plump and full but I guess her age caught on. She has wrinkles in her brows and forehead, crow's feet at the edge of her eyes. She has large eyes and lashes but with hooded lids. Thin eyebrows. Her skin feels slightly loose just like Miroku's. She has long hair tied up that feels brittle but hard, I assume that they are gray almost white by the touch, white or gray hair feels different than other hair they are more hard. It saddens me to know that they are old, they must have been handsome and beautiful in their prime youth.

"All done. I say to her with a smile.

"Inuyasha, you're turn." Sango says.

"No thanks, I don't need hands on my face." I hear him say.

"Well I don't want to touch your face either, besides I remember what you look like. White hair and big golden eyes right? Oh ya and dog ears that goes up and down just like a real dog. Bright red kimono too?" I say with a grin putting my hands on the top of my head and waving back and forth like dog ears.

"You did not just make fun of my ears." I hear him say in annoyance.

"Maybe I did, maybe I didn't. It's up to you to decipher." I say to him exactly the way he said to me that day years before.

I then take out a large piece of rice paper and my charcoal stick, I get a good feel of the size and how big I need to draw each person in order to make them all fit. No sooner, I start. One of my hand stays on the paper while the other glides the charcoal across the smooth surface. The sound of charcoal scratching fills my ears as the quiet sounds of breathing accompanies it, my fingers goes over the lines gently to avoid over smudging of the charcoal. Minutes goes by and I finally finish, I give one finally touch, everything seem to be in place. Shippo has his round cheeks wth big eyes, Miroku has his thick brows and long beard, Sango has her kind smile and her long hair, and Inuyasha with his dog ears and long white hair. I smile at the finish result, I hold it up for them to see.

"How is it?" I ask them.

"It looks beautiful." Sango says with joy in her voice.

"As aspected of an artist as talented as you. You amazed me that day with your art and you did once again." Miroku adds.

"Wow… it looks just like me. I'm going to ask you to draw me in the future again!" Shippo says with excitement.

"I'm glad that it turned out alright." I say with a sigh of relief.

"I suppose it looks alright." Inuyasha chirps in quietly.

"Thanks Inuyasha." I answer back with a grin.

"I'll frame this tomorrow, I'll go set your room, it will only take a few minutes." I hear Sango say getting up.

"Thank you." I say with a bow.

I hear her get up and exit out of the hut.

"Since you will be staying here, you will be going places. Knowing that, you will need someone to accompany you." Miroku says out of the blue.

"Oh no, really it's quite alright. I can go to places myself." I tell him.

"You're still not quite familiar with the area so I think it will be nice if someone accompanied you for a while. I suppose until you have grasp of the environment around you." Miroku reasons with me.

"You have done so much for me already, I don't want to inconvenience you anymore." I tell them.

"Ridiculous, it's not at all." Miroku replies with a laugh.

They are the ages of grandparents, and grandparents can be stubborn at times. I smile at the kind thought.

"It's going to cause more inconvenience if you bumped into something or got lost." I hear Inuyasha say with a passive tone.

I turn my head towards his direction.

"Do you ever stop?" I ask him.

"What do you want me to stop? I don't see anything wrong." I hear him ask.

"I would also like to add, that I will be out all day until late evening so I won't be able to guide you. Sango has the village to take care of as well so she can only help out if needed. Shippo I believe still needs time to take care of himself…" Miroku slowly says going through everyone.

"I can take care of myself Miroku, I'm not a kid anymore." I hear Shippo say with a pout.

I smile at his response, he may be almost 80, but he sounds like a child.

"You technically still are Shippo, 80 years old is nothing." Inuyasha says.

"For Inuyasha… He has quite a bit free time. I think letting him reconnect with the world and talking to people more will be nice." Miroku says with realization in his voice.

There's a brief silence, I then hear rustling of fabric.

"What are you suggesting Miroku?" Inuyasha asks slowly in a displeased tone.

"Isn't it obvious Inuyasha? I'm appointing you to be_'s company, to guide her around town." Miroku answers him with a light tone in his voice.

"You didn't even ask me if I wanted to old man!" Inuyasha argues back.

"You never ask us either, besides, you're helping a person out. It's what we do remember Inuyasha? It's been a while since you've been this talkative. I think talking with someone else besides us will be good for you." I hear Miroku say to Inuyasha softly.

Inuyasha wasn't this talkative? Really? It's kind of hard to believe. Every time he opens his mouth it makes me want to punch him. The more annoying part of it all is that he doesn't even realize that his words makes me wants to punch him. But, why is Miroku saying this? Did something happen to Inuyasha? I stay quiet and let them talk. There's another brief moment of silence.

"Fine, but only for a little while." Inuyasha finally says giving up.

"Thanks Inuyasha." I hear Miroku say.

Inuyasha sure doesn't like this does he? Well I guess he just have to suck it up, because that makes two of us. I don't want to be stuck with him every moment of the day, I feel like I'll go nuts. I put on a smile anyway.

"Thanks Inuyasha." I say to him with bow.

"Ya well, I'm just doing Miroku a favour since he never really asks for anything." He responds slightly baffled.

"Well then, should we head to bed? It's getting quite late." Shippo chirps in.

"Yes indeed." Miroku adds.

No sooner, the curtains of the hut lifts and a pair of footsteps comes in.

"You're room is ready, I'll take you to it." I hear Sango say.

"Ah, thank you." I say getting up.

" No need, come dear." She replies.

She takes my arm gently in her hand and guides me outside, I hear my art supplies shuffling, someone picked it up. One by one we all head out.

"Goodnight_, hope you will get a good night's rest and we will see you in the morning." Miroku says.

"Yes, thank you again for the hospitality. Goodnight." I reply with a bow.

'Goodnight_! Thanks for the drawing!" Shippo tells me in a cheerful tone.

"Glad you liked it. Goodnight." I answer back with a smile.

I hear them walk away, the faint sounds of crickets in the distance tells me that it's night. It's quiet and serene except for me, Inuyasha and Sango. Three pairs of footsteps crunches in the gravel road as we walk to the the hut that I'll be staying. After walking for a little while we stop.

'Here we are, your home for the time being, hope you will feel comfortable here." Sango tells me with a gentle voice.

"I'm sure I will, I can't say thank you enough for taking care of me." I say to her.

"No thanks are needed, besides we did push you into staying so please just be casual with us. I'll let you rest now, goodnight_. Inuyasha goodnight." She says bidding us goodnight.

Goodnight." I respond back with a bow.

I hear her walking away, the crunches of the gravel from her steps fading away. I just stood there, the quiet night surrounds me, but I'm aware that Inuyasha is beside me as well.

"Well here, I'm going to bed." I hear him say flatly.

I then feel him coming closer and then grabbing my left hand, he pulls it out in front of me and hands me something. I grab hold of it with my other and I feel it, it's my art supplies. Without another word I hear him turning around and walking away as well.

"Thank you Inuyasha." I say without thinking.

I hear him stop walking.

"For what?" He responds slightly curious.

"For deciding to accompany me in the next few months." I tell him trying to think of a reason as to why I thanked him.

"Ya well, I can't really decline it because Miroku and Sango will be on me until I accept. I didn't accept it because I wanted to." He responds flatly again.

I let out a sigh, can't he just say a "you're welcome" or something? I can almost feel the veins on my forehead bulging as I try to suppress my irritation.

"Look, I realize that this "job" is tiring and irritating because you will have to be my unofficial eyes for the next few months, I get it, you don't like it and it seem like you don't like me either. Well, guess what, I'm not really fond of you too, and I don't want to spent every minute of the next few months being stuck next to you. Besides, you were the one who brought me to the village in the first place." I tell him truthfully with irritation in my voice again.

"That makes two of us. When I brought you to the village I thought it would be a good place for you to regain your senses a bit after a near death experience and have a place to stay for the night, didn't expect Miroku and Sango to ask you to stay for the whole Winter." Inuyasha grumbles.

"You have been their friends for years, I would assume you would know what kind of people they are by now. Well, we're here now whether you like it or not, circumstances has lead to this moment. So let's try to co-exist side by side until Winter is over, at least I'll give an effort. Then Winter ends, I'll be out of your hair and you don't have to be my unofficial eyes anymore." I tell him with a softer tone but I rolled my eyes.

"You know you could have declined, why didn't you?" He asks me.

Should I tell him? I guess I should since he has ticked me off so many times already.

"I accepted because they are nice people and has helped me today, declining them would be rude, and if you remember I tried but it didn't work. Also, I accepted to annoy you." I tell him.

"Well, you've done a great job to annoy me. Congratulations. I thought others gave you the nickname "Butterfly" because you were gentle, doesn't seem like it. I guess I'll just have to try my best to not over talk to you." He replies with a grumble.

"It's just a nickname, you should've realized that day that we met, besides, do I look like someone who was gentle and let others walk over me? No. Ya I will too, let's try our best not to get on each other's nerves. Try." I say emphasizing the word.

"It's either I'm going to annoy you, or you annoying me, there's no try. Anyway, I'm heading to bed. I guess I'll see ya in the morning." Inuyasha says.

I feel my mind slowing down a little, he just said "see you in the morning" I thought he found this "job" annoying and tiresome. He confuses me, but before I can say something I hear him turning around and walking away. The sound of his steps are different, it's quieter, lighter and not much crunches of the gravel. He must be barefoot, if I remember, the first time I met him he was barefoot as well. I guess demons don't feel pain easily. His steps fades and soon the atmosphere around me goes quiet, the sounds of crickets only fills the night. I hold onto my art supplies tightly with my walking stick leaning against my leg.

"See you in the morning too…" I quietly say even though I know Inuyasha is far off.

With nothing else to do, I take my walking stick again and turn around and face forward. I can feel a big presence in front of me so I assume it's the hut, I tap my walking stick in front of me as I walk forward. I can hear it on the ground then a "tok tok" sound, I continue tapping it against it and I move it up, it's wood. It must be the outer exterior of the hut, one side of it, I put my hands out and I feel the the smooth wooden surface. I begin to move my hands around and I find a latch, I pull it and the surface moves out. Guess I found the door. I pull it open, there is a step, I step up and I step inside, I continue tapping my walking stick on the ground in front of me. The outside ground soon turns into wooden floorboards, I close the door behind me, and take off my sandals. With the help of my walking stick I move forward, it seems to be quite a big space. The sound of the wood echos in the room, I found a table, and a candle stands on it. I found the wall and I place my art supplies against it, I walked around the space until the wooden floor stopped sounding and the shifting of fabrics takes over. I kneel down and glide my hand on the surface, it feels like a futon. I sit down and place my walking stick to the side, I feel around the area beside me with my hands. I soon touch a wooden basin or some sort, with a towel beside it. it feels heavy. As I shift it, I can hear the faint sound of liquid. I dip one finger inside the basin, cool liquid comes in contact with my skin.

"Is this water?" I ask myself.

I bring my finger up to my face, I smell it. Nothing, guess it is water. Sango has prepared a basin of water for me to wash my face and hands, I shed my outer kimono and fold it beside me, I dip my hands in the water and wash my face. I dry off with the towel and slide into the futon, after I lay down I let out an exhale.

"What a day, but it was quite nice. Except for Inuyasha's rashness." I say to myself.

Without knowing, I let out a small chuckle. Inuyasha is annoying, but arguing with him is... quite entertaining. Hearing him get annoyed is good payback. I smile and close my eyes, although fun, but I don't know how the days will turn out being stuck with him for almost every minute of the day. I let out a tired groan and turn onto my side. Despite his obnoxiousness, he did save my life, and I'm thankful for that. I empty out my mind and soon, I drift off into a light slumber. I regain consciousness, I feel the gentle warmth of the morning sun in the room. How soothing, I slowly sit and stretch. I feel energized, I open my eyes slowly, I still see nothing. I sigh, but life carries on. I feel the floor around me for the basin of water, I clean my face with the cool water and I stand up, I unfold my kimono and dress myself. I braid my hair again and grab my walking stick, After last night, I have a grasp of where everything is in the room. I find the latch to the door and open it up, I feel the warm sun shining against my skin. I take a step forward and at the same time make sure that my kimono and obi is in place and straightened out, suddenly I feel my right foot stub on something and I stumble forward. I gasp in surprise, but then I feel my knees hit something and this obstacle shifts forward. I have nothing to grab onto for balance and I begin to fall over. I remember there's a step but I don't remember it going upwards.

"Ah!" I blurt out.

"Ow!"

Huh? Did I just bump into a person? Whoever or whatever it is, it's about to get squashed by me. Both of my arms reaches out to desperately grab onto something, I feel the air hitting my face as I tip over, I feel the person's shoulders and and I grab onto the fabric and we both fall onto the dirt ground, torso first.

"Oof!" We both let out.

The two of us crash onto the ground together and I can feel the dirt flying into the air and entering my nostrils and mouth. I cough them out, that hurt. I think I'm on the person's back, I landed on them. I shift my body off of them and prop myself up and I hold my head.

"Who are you?" I ask them furrowing my brows as I try to sit up straight.

"Geez, be careful where you're walking." The person's voice grumbles.

"…Inuyasha?" I say recognizing his voice.

"Ya… My bottom hurts now from your foot stubbing into it." I hear him say slightly breathing in as if in pain.

"Well why are you sitting in front of the door in the first place? If you forgot, I can't see. I can't see you sitting down in front of my door. Besides why didn't you say anything after I opened the door?" I say annoyed.

"I literally just sat down, I was stretching when you came out and crashed into me." He says.

"Well why are you stretching in front of my place?" I ask him confused.

"I came here to get you so I can guide you to the big hut, did you forget? It's my "job." Inuyasha says with a huff.

I feel my irritation fading slowly, he came here to get me so he can guide me to the others. He sounded irritated and voiced his opinion last night, but in the end he's here to guide me, he's here to help me. I feel slightly thankful towards him. I think Inuyasha is a contradictor, I find it interesting. I clear my throat, feeling a bit bad for getting irritated. If only he told me straight out in the beginning though.

"I see… well… thanks for coming here…and sorry for landing on you." I say slowly slightly awkward.

I hear him let out a mumble and stand up, I hear the rustling of his kimono as he dusts himself off and walks closer to me.

"Looks like you can't go anywhere without me, come on let's go, or are you planning on sitting here all day?" He says with a sigh.

I then feel something nudging against my shoulder, I grab it and it's my walking stick. I take hold of it and he pulls me up, He then starts walking away, just like that day he tugs me along with the walking stick between us. Our footsteps fills the space around us as walk towards the hut, I can smell the fresh air and the faint faint smell of vegetables and fruits. People are talking in the distance like yesterday, Winter is coming along, I can feel a slight chill in the air along with the sunlight. I hear the curtains shifting and then the sunlight disappearing as we enter into a confined space.

"_, Inuyasha, you're up."I hear the voice of Lady Sango greeting us with a cheerful voice in the morning.

"Good morning." I greet back with a bow.

"It's good to see that Inuyasha is taking care of you." I hear Miroku say with a chuckle.

"I'm only doing what you asked Miroku." Inuyasha grumbles.

"Thanks anyway Inuyasha." Sango says.

The curtains opens again and I can feel a lively presence, it must be Shippo.

"Morning! Hi_." The lively voice says.

"Morning Shippo, glad to hear your voice." I greet him with a smile.

"Come on, let's have breakfast." Sango says guiding me to sit down.

We the all sit down and have a nice breakfast.

"Since you're still unfamiliar around here, why don't you let Inuyasha take you around, let him take you to places today." Sango says.

"I think it's a good idea too, it will be a good opportunity for you and Inuyasha to get to know each other a bit as well… because you both seem to have started on a rough note." Miroku says.

"I guess that will be alright." I reply back with a smile, but I don't know if it will be a day without arguments.

"Inuyasha?" Sango asks.

"Well, I can't really say no can I? Because_ can't really walk in a straight line without someone acting as her eyes." He responds.

"Hey, I'm not that bad." I reply back with a frown.

"This morning proved it, it's the truth." He says.

I let out a low grumble in my throat, alright, I guess he is right. But it's irritating for him to remind me.

"How about you Shippo? What are you doing today?" Sango asks.

"I have met some young fox demons around my age in the mountains, I'm going to play with them." Shippo answers.

"Oh wow, that's wonderful. You finally found some fellow demons of your race, hope you have fun." Miroku says with a chuckle.

"Thanks, I'll be back by dinner." Shippo replies with eagerness in his voice.

We finish up breakfast together, Miroku heads off to an exorcism job, Sango goes around the village to do her job as head of the village. Shippo has set off to meet up with his fellow fox demons. Guess it just leaves Inuyasha and I. Inuyasha guides me around the village, telling me where everything is, but with an unamused attitude. Afterwards, he stops and I hear him stretch.

"Man, I'm tired." He says with a yawn.

"What are you planning on doing now?" I ask him.

"I want to rest, but I can't, cause I have you to take care of." Inuyasha sighs.

"Well gee, sorry to drag you down." I reply back rolling my eyes.

The two of us stay quit for a while, I haven't drawn anything today, maybe I should draw something.

"Hey, is there a place where you can rest and I can draw in peace?" I ask him.

"There are many places out there, it just depends on where you want to go." Inuyasha replies flatly.

Well, since he has been a decent guide so far, I'll let him decide on a place.

"You decide, the two of us can go somewhere where you like and enjoy, I'll let you rest in peace while I draw. It will benefit the both us and give each other some space." I say to him.

There's a brief silence.

"You sure?" I hear him ask me in a softer tone.

"Ya… You have been a decent guide with no rash attitude so I'll let you go somewhere the you want and do what you want to do." I say to him.

"Alright? You're not going to tattle on me afterwards are you?" Inuyasha asks me slightly cautious.

"…I'm not a bad person, don't make me into a bad person. Anyway I'm going to go get my art supplies." I say to him.

"Woah Woah, no you're not. It will take you half the day just to find your way back to your hut, I'll go." Inuyasha says in a hurry.

I bite my lower lips in annoyance, I turn my body back towards him, my eyes moving around in the emptiness as I direct my irritation towards him.

"I'm not that bad alright? It will take me some time, but it won't take me half the day. No need to exaggerate Inuyasha." I say to him flatly.

"Anyway, just wait here, I'll be back. Don't move, I don't want to go around looking for a girl with a walking stick whacking everything around her." He says with a huff.

Oh I want to whack him with my walking stick at this moment, but. I decide to let it pass since he's going to get my art supplies. I hear him walk away, I hold tightly onto my walking stick as I stand where I am. We must be in a quiet part of the village, there's not people around me so I can listen to the sounds around me and be alert. Inuyasha sure is annoying with the way he talks, but I know for sure that he's not a bad person…or demon in his case. He has a complex with the way he talks without consideration for others, he tests your patience and tolerance, he's tiring to talk to but, it's kind of interesting arguing with him if you have the will to want to put him in his place. I close my eyes and let my mind fall into a state of peace but at the same time listening to everything around me. I don't know how long time has passed, but I would assume a few minutes. I then hear faint footsteps coming closer, then something poking at my shoulder, I open my eyes in hoping to see who it is, but of course, nothing.

"Did you fall asleep or something standing up?" The person asks me.

"I see you're back Inuyasha." I reply back with a sigh.

You can tell its him by the way he talks. I feel him placing my art supplies in my arms, I then feel him grabbing the other end of my walking stick again.

"Come on, I want to get there before I fall asleep myself." He says.

He tugs lightly on the walking stick and I follow after him, I seem to follow after him without a word. I find it surprising myself to be honest, I hold my art supplies to my chest and hold onto the one end of the walking stick. No words were said between us as I follow after Inuyasha, but I don't find it awkward. It feels somehow… serene in a sense. Soon I feel us walking out of the village, I wonder where he is taking me, but it seems like this place might be a place that he's fond of. I'll trust him and let him guide me there as my unofficial eyes, and hopefully not off a cliff. I can feel the gentle wind, I know that we are heading towards an open field where no trees are blocking us. It feels soothing, the sun is high in the sky, the warmth lacing my skin. Two pairs of feet walks in the field, one in front and one in the back with a wooden walking stick giving a meter distance between us.


	5. Arguing Upgraded To Bantering

After a while, I feel the wind slightly picking up, but it still feels soothing. I noticed that he has started to slow down, the walking stick is aiming downwards at his end. The gravel ground has turned into grass beneath our feet, the sun is still shining down.

It's quiet and peaceful, then I realized that Inuyasha has stopped walking. I stop as well.

"Where are we?" I ask him.

Nothing, no response, just the wind. I tug lightly on the walking stick to get his attention.

"Earth to Inuyasha? Are you still here?" I ask again.

"Huh? Oh... we're at the cliff." He answers back slightly dazed.

"Why the cliff? You planning on pushing me off the cliff?" I ask him confused with a slight chuckle.

"Because I come here to rest in the tree." He replies back.

"Tree? You mean the single tree that is by itself?" I add.

"Ya, the one that you were whacking at yesterday before you fell off the cliff." Inuyasha snorts.

I frown, so he was awake when I whacked the tree yesterday. which means technically he could have prevented me from walking to the edge of the cliff... but he didn't.

"So... you could have jumped down from the tree and prevented me from walking to the edge of the cliff but you didn't. Thanks." I mutter.

"Hey, I was sleeping when you woke me up with your whacking. It was irritating, I thought you were someone who was bored so I ignored you. Then I saw you walking towards the cliff without stopping, that's when I decided to intervene." He answers.

I want to say something but then I feel him tugging me along to the side, I follow after him. Then he stops. I then hear him jumping and then the rustling of branches above me, the walking stick drops onto the ground on his end. Did he just jump into the tree?

"Did you just leave me down here by myself?" I ask him.

"Ya I did. Just walk forward, the tree trunk is in front of you. You can rest down there and I'll rest up here, we'll both have our private space for a while." He says from above me.

I let out a hmph and walk forward slowly, put my hands out and no sooner wood surface comes in contact with my palm. I then turn around and sit down and lean my back against the tree trunk, the cool wind feels nice. I open up my bundle of art supplies and take out my charcoal stick and paper, I "look" out but I realize that I don't know how to start. I know there's a cliff, and a tree... but what else? I tilt my head up, but then I remember that Inuyasha is sitting in the tree. Perhaps...

"Hey Inuyasha?" I say.

"What?" He replies with a grumble.

"Guess you're not asleep yet. If you don't mind, can you tell me what our surroundings look like? I want to get a grasp so I can at least put my charcoal onto the paper." I ask him.

There's a brief silence, but then I hear him let out a sigh. It must not be a tall tree if I can hear him sighing.

"A few meters in front of us is a cliff, green grass covers the ground all around us as far as the eyes can see. In the distance are mountain ranges of different heights, a stream runs below. A single tree stands in the green field. Birds are flying in the sky with white clouds." He explains to me in a calm tone.

I smile at the description that he has given me, although simple but I can imagine myself seeing such scenery. I'm thankful that he complied, not to mention he actually sounds…normal for once.

"Thanks Inuyasha." I say to him.

"Ya, well I'm going to take my nap now, you can do whatever. Let me know when you're ready to leave." He says.

"Alright." I reply back.

No sooner I can hear him snoring, he must be pretty tired. I feel my paper again and I begin to draw out what he has told me about the place, I draw out the mountains, the stream, and the cliff, the grass on the ground. In a few minutes I finish it, I take out another sheet and I draw it from a different angle, what everything would look like from the other side. Time goes by, I almost seem to be lost in my own little world. I drew about 4 pictures each in different perspectives, different tones and styles. I have plenty of paper so I'm not afraid to use them. After a while I stretch my back and lean my head back against the tree trunk, I tilt my head up and close my eyes. I can feel the late afternoon sun shining down accompanied with a gentle cool breeze, it's lulling me into a slumber. Perhaps I can use a nap as well, we can head back after we both wake up. With that, I let my mind drift off with the wind and I fall asleep. I totally forgot if Inuyasha is still snoring away or not. When I come too, the cool air grazes against my skin causing me to slightly shiver. I don't feel the strength of the sunlight anymore so I assume it's evening by now, I stretch my arms and sit up. I take a deep breath and let out a quiet sigh, I smile, that was a good nap. I guess it's time for us to return back to the village before the sun completely goes down, the plains can be cold at night especially with winter coming around. I tilt my head up to call Inuyasha, I open my mouth...

"Kago..."

I stop mid track, it's Inuyasha's voice. Is he sleep talking? If so wow, that is something to tease him about later. But that aside, he sounded... sad. He said "Kago" it doesn't sound like a complete word the way he said it, he trailed off before he finished. Kago? Well, Kago means "basket" so was he trying to say "basket" before he trailed off? Why is he saying basket? Does he want a basket? Why does he sound like he's in pain when he said it? Did he lose a favourite basket of his or something? I better wake him up before he mumbles something else that I could use to tease him.

"Inuyasha, time to wake up, the sun is going down." I call out to him.

"...uh? Huh?" I hear him shifting with a mumble.

Ya, he sounds quite out of it. I pack up my art supplies and pick up my walking stick, I use the tree as a balance as I stand up.

"Let's go Inuyasha, is evening now. Let's head back before it completely goes dark." I say to him again.

"Ya I heard you the first time, besides what are you scared of. I'm a demon." He tells me.

I hear him jump down onto the ground beside me with a whoosh of the air and a "hmmph" as he lands.

"It's not that I'm scared, I realize that as a demon you don't have a strong sense of pain or sense of heat or coldness. Well reality check, I'm a human. I don't want to stay out here in the open field where the night's air might give me a chill if I stay too long. Now shall we?" I say to him sticking out my tongue.

I hear him grumble but then picks up the other end of my walking stick, like before, he walks ahead tugging me along after him. The grass rustles beneath us and brushes against the bottom of our kimonos. No words are said as we walk through the evening field for a while.

"So did you manage to draw something in those few hours?" Inuyasha asks randomly.

"I did thanks to your description." I respond back.

"Don't tell me you only drew one picture only based on my description." He adds on.

"What kind of artist do you take me for? I did about 4 sketches all in different perspectives." I say to him with huff, he's looking down at me.

"4? Not bad." He adds clearing his throat.

"Isn't it? An artist has to have a constant mind filled with imaginations and ideas, it keeps our mind going. It's like breathing, you have to constantly do it or else your mind and body shuts down and you die. Running out of ideas and imaginations is an artist's death basically. Not just for artists, a person who writes books too. If they have nothing to write about anymore, they're basically finished. You understand what I'm saying?" I explain to him.

There's a brief silence as we just walked.

"Ya, I suppose I understand what you are saying." He replies in a quiet tone.

"Wow, I'd expect you to say something that would tick me off." I say with a chuckle.

"I'm not a bad guy alright?" Inuyasha grumbles.

"Did you rest well?" I ask him.

"Ya, I suppose. He answers back flatly.

"You know you were sleep talking before I woke you up." I tell him.

I feel the walking stick jolt a little as I said that, did I witness an embarrassing aspect of his?

"What did I say?" He asks me sounding flustered.

"Nothing much, you said "Kago" and trailed off, not to mention you sounded sad. Did you lose a special basket or something?" I ask him with a chuckle.

There's another brief silence, the atmosphere suddenly felt solemn. My smile slowly faded from my face, I gently tug on the walking stick to get his attention.

"Inuyasha?" I say his name.

"No, it's nothing. I was probably over tired that I just blurt out something while sleeping. You better not tease me about it." Inuyasha quickly replies with a huff.

"Uh….Alright." I say slowly.

Inuyasha sounded sad, almost melancholic. He's hiding something from me I can tell and feel it by the way he talks and from his tone of voice. The brief silences tells me the same thing, he seemed deep in thought. The word that he said… I don't think it's just a random word, I think it's something more. He sounded slightly flustered, and tried to go back to his usual brash personality at the end. I decide to let it be, perhaps he can tell me what it is one day on his own. The rest of the way back was quiet, Shippo and Miroku came back, Sango has prepared dinner for all of us. I feel bad for not helping out but she insists that its fine, it makes her feel like a grandmother.

"So what did you and Inuyasha do today?" Miroku asks me.

"Inuyasha took me around town and told me where everything else, I have a grasp on the road. He took me to a cliff not far from the village and the two of us took a rest there, I drew some sketches of the scenery thanks to Inuyasha's description. We stayed there for a few hours and came back." I told them about our day.

"I see, looks like you and Inuyasha are starting to get along." Sango adds with relief in her voice.

"Ya… well… we're still getting there, but I think our argument has diminished a little and became….less aggressive?" I say with a chuckle.

"Still better than nothing, I thought Inuyasha will keep antagonizing everyone." Shippo says with a laugh.

"Shut it." Inuyasha grumbles.

I hear a "whack." It surprised me slightly.

"OW! Stop hitting me!" Shippo yells.

"Then stop saying stupid things." Inuyasha fires back with an irritated tone.

Poor Shippo, but I feel relieved to hear that Inuyasha is back to his usual impulsive behaviour again. I let out a mental smile, you know It's kind of weird not seeing Inuyasha the way he is now. Probably because I'm use to him being like this and not the quiet him. After dinner, we had tea time together. When the night goes deeper we finally decide to all turn in.

"Let's go." Inuyasha says.

"I don't want you to guide me, I want to try to get to my hut on my own." I say to him.

"Are you serious? You only walked their once and with Sango guiding you. You're probably going to walk into beam." He says with a huff.

I "glare" at him. My memories aren't that bad.

"Well I'm going to try anyway, I'm going to have to get use to it because eventually you're not going to be my unofficial eyes forever, well, then again I'll be gone too. I'm just trying to speed up your job so you can be….relieved of it." I say to him.

Inuyasha doesn't say anything, but then I hear him let out a sigh.

"Fine, go ahead." He grumbles sounding like he gave up.

I hold tightly onto my walking stick and I begin to walk forward while tapping it onto the ground, I try to think back on the directions. Alright I remember walking forward for a few meters, then we turned right. Everything seem to be alright, haven't bumped into anything so far. I think I got about halfway , but then my memory start to fail me. I stop and I begin to ponder. Is it right? Or was it left? If it's left how much further should I walk? I begin to grip my walking stick with slight frustration, but then someone picks up the other end of it and lifts it up. I raise my eyebrows in surprise.

"You're almost there." I hear Inuyasha say next to me.

He was following behind me the whole time, guess he noticed that I was stuck. Like the past day he guides me with the walking stick between us, he heads to the left and we continue walking for a good 80 steps then he stops. He drops my walking stick and it lands on the ground.

"We're here." He finally says.

"Thanks for helping me out, guess I over believed my ability to remember the way." I say to him slightly embarrassed.

"Ya you did…but I suppose I should give you some credit, you managed to get to third base, it's just at the end that you needed a hand to get to home base." He says.

"Thanks. Say, what is third base and home base?" I ask him confused of the terms.

"Uh… It's nothing. Forget what I said. Anyway I'll see you tomorrow." He says slightly flustered again.

"Ya…alright…see you tomorrow. Thanks again Inuyasha." I say to him clearing my throat afterwards finding it still a bit awkward to thank him.

"Sure, don't bump into the door when you go inside." Inuyasha adds before walking away.

I furrow my brows in annoyance, we were about to end the day off on a decent note, why Inuyasha why? But I let it slide. I listen till his footsteps fade away, that's when I turn around and head towards my hut. I wash up thanks to the new basin of clean water that Sango prepared for me, I shed my kimono and I head to bed. I close my eyes as I can hear the faint chirps of crickets outside, today was alright. Inuyasha and I are still on a rocky road but I think we made some progress, I'm actually glad to have Inuyasha guide me a little, the two of us banter, but we are capable of a normal conversation. Also, I realized that Inuyasha seems troubled somehow. He seems to be hiding something, unspoken feelings, but I can tell by the way he talks and from the tone. I suppose this is a gift, being able to detect when something is up. I kind of want to spend time with Inuyasha, not because I necessarily want to, but because I want to understand him a bit I guess? I wonder if I can get him to trust me in the future so that he can tell me what is bothering him. I suppose, the first step is to get pass the arguing phase of our bonding. I let my mind trail off and I drift off into sleep. When I come to, I can feel the morning sun coming through again from the window. I sit up and stretch, I open my eyes and I see nothing. I feel the ground beside me and I wash up, I dress in my kimono and I grab my walking stick, like yesterday I head out the door. The sunlight laces my skin the moment I open my door, before I step out I begin to see if I can grasp onto a presence or not, and I do kind of.

"Are you sitting down in front of me Inuyasha?" I ask out in the open.

There's a brief silence, but then I hear a quiet "hmph."

"I was expecting you to jab your walking stick into my back again." He responds.

I roll my eyes, guess he's back to the usual him now.

"After yesterday, I wouldn't want to fall on you again and tumble head first onto the ground. But you know, I wouldn't mind jabbing you in the butt again, I need to stretch out my arm muscles a little." I say with a grin.

I hear him do a raspberry, but then grabs my walking stick on the other end.

"If you're done, let's go. I'm hungry." He says.

I hot back a quiet chuckle, he tugs on the walking stick and I follow after him. Another day with Inuyasha, and another day of arguing and bantering. But I do have to say, our arguments have upgraded to bantering…which I think is an improvement. Funny.


	6. Voices of Winter Ice and Spring Flowers

2 days soon turns into 4, then eventually a week. I try to help out Sango with anything that I'm capable of. Inuyasha and I still quarrel but there are times that we just let things fly over our heads, which I think is a big step. Although Inuyasha still acts arrogant and irritating but I have grown use to it, at times I find it fun to be honest. The snow has started to fall, Winter is officially here. Since I can't see, I could only feel, light cold touches on my hands and skin tells me that the beautiful part of winter has arrived. The cool air grazing against my skin sends goosebumps through my body, Although it's cold, but it feels heavenly. The world around me seem so quiet and serene, the crunches of the snow beneath my feet feels so different than the dirt road. Although beautiful, but it does cause some barricades for me, the snow doesn't allow my walking stick to touch the ground and tell me where I'm going, but I have Inuyasha to guide me like how he has been doing in the past week. Winter is about 3 to 4 months, but I know how fast time flies, the months will go by soon and I'll be leaving this place.

"Can you walk a bit slower?" I say panting.

"Walk faster, I ain't slowing down." Inuyasha replies flatly.

I wanted to buy some new charcoal sticks because I've been making small landscape drawings and selling them to the villagers, I only have one charcoal stick left. Since I can't really go out by myself in the winter, I need Inuyasha to guide me to the art shop. I'm happy to see that Inuyasha isn't complaining like he was the first two days of him becoming my "unofficial eyes." I feel thankful and I appreciate the company. Although appreciative, but I just wish he can slow down and stop tugging at my walking stick. I also find it mind boggling that he always tugs on my walking stick, I wonder why he's not holding my arm and guiding me like a normal person. Oh well, I guess it's better not to let him touch me, I might have to wash my body in case I get fleas since he's a dog demon…do demons have fleas? Who knows.

"I'm trying to catch on to your big strides but as you can see I have snow in my sandals and my feet are sunk in the ankle high snow. Pulling my feet out takes a while." I reply back to him with irritation.

"Then pull your feet out faster." He replies with a tone that makes you feel like, why didn't you think of that.

"Oh gee why didn't I think of that, I'm trying Inuyasha. Unlike you, I'm a human, my feet are going numb as well too. I'm just asking you to slow down just a little bit." I say to him with a sigh.

"I wonder what happens if I actually yank the walking stick?" Inuyasha says with a curious tone.

I stop walking and I tug on my end of the stick, I feel him stop too. I furrow my brows.

"No… you will not Inuyasha, don't do that, don't even go there." I say to him with a serious tone.

There's a brief silence, but then I feel the walking stick getting yanked, my body jerks forward and I let out a gasp of surprise. The walking stick slips through my hands and I fall onto the snow, the coldness covers my hand and the front side of my body through my kimono. I let out a "oof" as I sink into the cold softness. I hear Inuyasha letting out a light snicker and the whoosh of my walking stick as he twirls it.

"That turned out well." Inuyasha says with amusement in his voice.

I let out a low grumble in my throat in annoyance, I prop myself up. I dust the snow off of my face, I then let out a grin. Two can play this game, I get onto my knees and sneakily grab a handful of snow and turn the handful of snow into a ball in my palm and I stand up.

"You don't get to laugh without getting away with it, I want a laugh too." I say to him.

"What do you mean?" Inuyasha says.

I get a grasp of his voice and the direction and the distance he is from me, he is slight to the left of me, perfect. I fling the hand with the ball of snow towards his direction with medium strength, I didn't want to make the ball too stiff I want a little laugh that's all. The ball leaves my hand and I hear it hit something and the sound of the snow dispersing with a "ugh". It's Inuyasha alright and it hit him. I smile.

"What was that for?" Inuyasha grumbles.

"Like I said, you want to laugh, sure, but you don't get to be the only person that gets to laugh. Now can we go to the art shop? My feet and face are going numb." I say to him trying to calm down from laughing.

I hear him grumble but then pokes me on the arm with the walking stick, I take hold of it and we head to our destination. Inuyasha seem to have slowed down a bit which I'm happy. A few minutes goes by and we finally arrive at the art shop.

"Go nuts." Inuyasha says with a depleted sigh.

"Thanks for leading me here Inuyasha, good boy." I say to him with a chuckle.

"Watch it." Inuyasha grumbles.

"Hi miss, how can I help you?" I hear the shop owner says.

"Hello, I was wondering if you sell charcoal sticks in this shop." I tell him.

"Yes we do, this way." The owner says.

I follow his steps and use my walking stick to guide me, I can hear Inuyasha's light footsteps behind me not far away.

"You are an artist I see, a young one as well." The shop owner says with curiosity in his voice.

"Yes I am, I know, my blindness doesn't make me seem like an artist, but believe me I can draw." I say with a chuckle.

"I'm sure you are Miss, as a fellow artist we are not to judge others capability to create something beautiful. Knowing the you have confidence in your voice is more than enough for me to believe that you are an artist. Here we are, in front of you are the charcoal sticks. There are the hard compressed charcoals, soft charcoal sticks, thin charcoal sticks and thick charcoal sticks. Which one would you like?" The owner asks.

"I'll take the soft thick charcoals, 6 sticks please." I say to him.

'Of course, I'll go pack it up for you right now." The owner says.

"Thank you." I reply with a smile.

I hear the owner walk away and then I hear Inuyasha picking something up.

"So what is the difference between the charcoal sticks?" Inuyasha asks with a flat voice.

"Well the size difference allows you to cover big and small areas on the paper, the hard and softness of the charcoal sticks allows you to do details in different ways." I explain to him.

"I still don't get it." Inuyasha replies.

"Ugh, then test it out." I say to him.

There's a second of silence, something tells me…something is about to happen.

"Alright." Inuyasha replies with some kind of evilness in his voice.

The next thing I know, something touches my nose. I gasp and touch it. Inuyasha then laughs.

"Now I see the difference." He says.

"You did not, you just draw on my face with the charcoal stick?" I say to him with disbelief.

"I sure did, I only made a dot but you just smudged it. Guess the soft charcoal stick is really soft, it smudge so easily." Inuyasha says with a chuckle.

I want to strangle him, but for some reason, hearing him laugh somehow lightened up my anger. I don't know why, I suppose it's a side that I don't come upon a lot when I'm with Inuyasha. When he laughs, he sounds like everything else doesn't exist to him, he sounds actually happy. I let it slide.

"Here you are miss." I hear the owner say behind me.

I turn around.

"Oh… you have charcoal on your face miss." The owner says with slight surprise.

"Ya, this guy behind me wanted to see what the differences were between the charcoals." I say rolling my eyes.

"Is he your lover?" The owner asks me with a chuckle.

I feel my mind going blank, what? What?!

"No!" We both say in unison.

"Oh, sorry." The owner says with a light chuckle.

"We're just… I don't even know if you can call it that but, but we're friends… friends yes." I reply back.

"Ah, I see. Well, remember to wash off the charcoal when you return home." The owner says.

"Thank you. I say with a laugh.

I pay the owner and Inuyasha guides me home, one hand holding the package of charcoal sticks and the other onto the walking stick.

"Here we are." Inuyasha says back to his flat tone.

As we draw near the big hut, I hear laughter and another voice. I know one is Sango's, but who's the other? It's a woman's voice. She sounds like she's in her late 50's early 60's, there is a lot of joy in her voice, like the spring flowers. Warm and happy, looks like she is close with Sango.

"Ugh…don't tell me he's here too." I hear Inuyasha groan.

"He?" I ask confused.

I hear the curtains lift and Inuyasha guides me inside by the walking stick.

"Inuyasha,_, you're back." Sango says with joy.

"Inuyasha, it's been a long time." The lady says.

"Rin." Inuyasha answers back.

Rin? That name sounds so familiar, that's right. I remember Sango mentioning the family members, her name was one of them.

"And may I ask who this is?" The lady named Rin asks with kindness in her voice.

"Rin, this is a guest and an artist, _. She is staying with us until Winter is over, she has become a ball of sunshine here in these few days." Sango says with happiness in her voice as she introduces me.

"Nice to meet you Lady Rin." I say with a bow as I greet her.

"Nice to meet you as well_, you are a beautiful young woman, we were all young weren't we big sister Sango? Rin says with a chuckle.

"Yes, how nice it is to be young again, but this is life." Sango sighs.

"Dear, you have something on your nose." Rin says.

Oh ya…. Darn it Inuyasha. I quickly try to wipe off the charcoal on my nose with the back of my hand.

"So where's Sesshomaru?" Inuyasha asks.

"He will be here soon, he's in the fields with A-Un and Jaken. It's been 4 years since we were last here, how have you been Inuyasha?" Rin asks with a quiet voice.

"I'm alright." Inuyasha replies with a lifeless tone.

The mood sure changed quick.

"It seems as if you are all really close, family members. Lady Sango here mentioned how close you all were." I say to Rin.

"Yes we are close, sister Sango here is like a real sister to me. We all grew up together till I left here when I reached age 24. Even after I left, I never forgot this place, this place is like my first home." Rin replies with nostalgia in her voice.

I smile at her reply. I then hear someone getting up.

"It's almost dinner time, I'll go make dinner, Miroku should be back soon as well. Let's all have dinner together, it's been a while since you came back Rin." Sango says.

Of course, do you need help?" Rin asks.

"Sure thing." Sango replies with happiness in her voice.

Although I don't know what she looks like, but her voice is enough to tell me that she is a joyful person and being around her will make the atmosphere feel like Spring. I offered to help out but Sango told me that my nose is red as a tomato. She told me to go back to my hut, change into a warm kimono and warm up. At the same time, she asks Inuyasha to go get Shippo at wherever he is. Inuyasha accompanies me back to my hut.

"It seems like this Sesshomaru is here as well, if I remember, he is your brother right?" I say to him trying to start a conversation.

"Half brother." He replies with a grumble.

"Right, how much older is he?" I ask him.

"He's a good 300 years older." He replies back with a matter of factly.

I nearly choked on my saliva, wow. I know that Inuyasha is over 100 maybe even 200 years old, so if his half brother is 300 years older, he could be 500 years over. I clear my throat to find my composure, I thought the age difference wouldn't be too much.

"Is there something between Rin and your half brother, because you asked her about your brother." I ask him again.

"They are married, Rin married Sesshomaru when she became 26. Sesshomaru saved Rin when she was a child and watched over her as her guardian. That was years before, she is nearing her 70's soon. In her youth, Kaede thought that by staying in a world of demons wouldn't be too good for her, she wouldn't have any human communications. So Sesshomaru left her here with us for a few years, she has grown to be in human companies and when she became of age she will be able to choose which world she would live in. In those years, she and Sesshomaru's begin to grow out of there protector and protected phase and romance developed. She married my brother and lived with him." Inuyasha says telling me the history.

"I see, do they have any children?" I ask him.

"No, they think it's enough just the two of them. Besides Sesshomaru is a Great Daiyokai, he has responsibilities and travels across the land a lot, Rin accompanies him. So having children wouldn't be the best idea for them. They won't have time to take care of the children." Inuyasha adds.

"Ah… How about you Inuyasha? Do you want children?" I ask him.

There's a brief silence, I waited for his answer.

"We're here, it's not an important question, you can let it go. I'll see you in a bit." Inuyasha replies.

He changed the subject, was it a question that he's uncomfortable with? But we're here and he has to go look for Shippo, so I'll let it slide. After he says that, he pointed me to the front of my hut and I hear him walk away. He seemed…evasive, he usually is so head strong but why is he avoiding a question like that? It's a harmless question, but I guess it's something he doesn't want to answer so I won't push. I go inside and change into another pair of kimono and warmed myself up before heading back to the big hut, I can hear Shippo's voice and laughter along with Rin's kind voice. I enter inside and I smile, a second after entering, I feel a strong aura inside, and it's not Inuyasha's.

"_,you're back." I hear Miroku's voice as he greets me.

"Hello Miroku, Lady Rin, Shippo." I say greeting them.

"You're here_, oh, Inuyasha's brother, Sesshomaru is here beside me. Sesshomaru, this is a guest of Miroku and Sango's,_." Rin says introducing me to Sesshomaru.

"Oh, nice to meet you." I say with a bow.

"Likewise." An unfamiliar voice replies.

I listened to his voice, it is so different than Inuyasha's. It's like the Winter ice, it freezes you in your place. His voice sounds controlled and elegant. It captures you, but at the same time it's cold, distance sounding. I don't know what to make of him because I don't know what Sesshomaru looks like but I assume he looks like Inuyasha, maybe slightly different, more mature looking since he's older. We then all sit down and have dinner together, it's quite lively, with Shippo, Rin, Miroku, and Sango's lively personality. I'm more on the quiet side but occasionally the conversation will include me in it so I won't be left out. Sesshomaru and Inuyasha, well the two brother are quiet, very quiet.

"That was a lively and good dinner." Rin says.

"It has, it's been a long time since you and Sesshomaru has been here." Miroku responds.

"4 years… guess our own lives took over, but we wanted to come back here and see you all, remind us that there's still a bond between us." Run adds.

"Yes, the bond will never fade." Sango says.

"When a bond is formed, it will take a lot for it to break." I add.

"Indeed, just wish that we were all together…all of us." Miroku sighs.

Suddenly I hear someone get up, the atmosphere changed.

"Inuyasha…" I hear Rin say.

Inuyasha? He's the one that got up and left? No reply, I hear him walk out and his footsteps fading.

"Oh Inuyasha..." I hear Sango sigh as well.

"Excuse me." Sesshomaru suddenly says.

I then hear someone else get up and quietly leave the hut. I'm confused, I mean yes the mood became a bit sad when they mentioned how they wished everyone were here, didn't expect that Inuyasha would walk out, didn't take him as that type of person.

"Is everything alright?" I ask.

"Oh, everything's fine, don't worry dear." Sango answers gently rubbing my arm.

I didn't ask anything more, the 5 of us finish dinner and clean up. I bid all of them goodnight, Inuyasha and Sesshomaru still haven't come back yet I wonder if they're alright. I decide to see if I can find them, going to be pretty hard. I decide to walk around town, I know that I won't be exiting the village but I might get lost. I don't know how long time has passed but I think I'm lost, it's pretty late now, the streets pretty empty and quiet. I don't know where I am, but I continue walking. A few more minutes passes and I seem to hear something in the distance, two people conversing. I walk a little bit more and I put my hands out as I feel a big presence, it seems to be a hut. I hide behind it and I listen in.

"People leave Inuyasha, especially humans. Their lifespans are shorter than ours and you know that. It's been years since then, learn to let go." I hear one of them say.

It's Sesshomaru's voice, and he's talking to Inuyasha. Let go? Letting go of what? I listen and wait for Inuyasha's reply.

"I appreciate the effort, but I don't think you should be the one to tell me these things. You don't understand, you didn't go through what I have gone through." Inuyasha replies with slight hostility in his voice.

"I may not have, but I have to come to understand emotions. What happened must have been difficult but you have to learn to let go. Kagome is gone, you have to wake up and see reality." Sesshomaru responds.

Kagome? Who is Kagome? This person sounds really close to Inuyasha if he sounds so distraught, I haven't hear him sound like this since I've been here. Sesshomaru is trying to help Inuyasha, but his voice sounds like ice, it freezes you.

"I don't think you should comfort anyone, telling someone to move on when they still haven't come to terms with things just makes things more complicated. Like I said, I appreciate the effort, but you don't need to try. It makes things worse." Inuyasha says trying to brush Sesshomaru off with slight anger.

"If you think so, then so be it. Looks like you have company, I won't say anymore, but Inuyasha... it has gone on long enough, if you want to be happy, learn to let go." Sesshomaru says.

I feel my breath hitch, he knows I'm here? Oh well then again, he is a demon, superior senses.

"_?" I hear Inuyasha say a second after.

Should I make a break for it? I just eavesdropped on their heated conversation, but I can't see so where will I be running to? I'm in trouble, Inuyasha's going to go nuts on me.


	7. Seeing Past The Facade

I bite my lips as I don't hear anything from the two brothers, I guess running won't do me any good. I take a deep breath and.I step out from behind the hut.

"I'm sorry, I was out looking for you two because you both left without saying anything, I wanted to see if you were both alright. I got lost and I happened to hear voices, didn't realize they belong to yours until I got close enough to hear…and it eventually lead to me eavesdropping." I tell them straight out.

"We are fine, no need to be concerned. I notice that you are unable to see, it is late Inuyasha, guide her back to her place." I hear Sesshomaru reply back with a controlled and elegant tone.

I then hear him walk away and Inuyasha grumbling, I hold tightly to my walking stick as I hear someone approaching me. My walking stick gets lifted up with a jerk, and then it pulls me to turn around.

"Let's go." I hear Inuyasha say with irritation in his voice.

I didn't say anything as I follow after him, I can almost feel the anger that is radiating off his body. Our footsteps crunches in the snow, I hold tightly to the walking stick so I won't fall. We walk for a while, until I feel him stop and drop my walking stick.

"We're here, I'll see you tomorrow." He says with a flat expressionless tone.

I then hear him turn around and begin to walk away, without thinking I reach out to grab onto him. My fingers opens up and I touch soft fabric, I quickly close my fingers around it.

"Wait." I say urgently.

I feel the fabric tug a bit and then stop I think I got the sleeves of his kimono.

"What?" I hear him respond with irritation.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop on your conversation with Sesshomaru. Although I've eavesdropped, but I can't help but notice that the conversation was hard for you. So, if there's anything that I can to help you…" I say to him.

"No…It's fine. I don't need any help. Now go inside before your face freezes." Inuyasha replies back with a slightly softer tone.

I then feel him tug on his kimono sleeve and it slips out of my fingers. I feel the empty air now, his footsteps fading away in the distance. After his footsteps completely went silent, the air around me seem a bit colder. Inuyasha's trying to cover so much of himself, his feelings. I knew that Inuyasha had unspoken things and thoughts, but I finally have a grasp of what it is. Unfortunately, I can only guess and I can't really help him if he doesn't allow me too. I'm not use to seeing Inuyasha like this, it pains me a little. I let out a sigh and I turn around and go inside my hut. As I go to sleep, the snow falls outside, but I'm unable to hear or see the feather light miracle of Winter that is suppose to be soothing and beautiful. Everything fades away. I regain my consciousness, and I sigh.

"I hope today will be a better day for everyone… I feel I should talk with Inuyasha. Since I'm with him almost every minute of the day." I say to myself.

I get dressed and open the door to the hut, I can feel the cold winter air right away, and the occasionally whoosh of the wind. I don't feel the familiar presence that waited for me every single day in the morning for the past week or so.

"He's not here." I say quietly.

Well, It's been a week already I basically know my way to the big hut now. I understand that Inuyasha has some things on his mind so I hope that he can at least find some peace today. I can't always rely on his help, because I won't be able to find my way after I leave this place. I eventually arrive at the big hut and enter inside.

"Ah, Good morning_" I hear Rin say with a gentle voice.

"Good Morning Lady Rin, Sango, Miroku, Shippo, and I assume your husband Sesshomaru is here as well Lady Rin." I say greeting them with a bow.

"Good morning dear." Sango and Miroku greets me.

"Yes, Sesshomaru is here." Rin replies with a chuckle.

"Hello." I greet Sesshomaru again.

"Good to see that Inuyasha lead you home safely last night." Sesshomaru says with a cool elegant voice.

"Speaking of Inuyasha, why isn't he with you? Don't you two usually come together?" Shippo asks me.

Huh? Inuyasha isn't here? It did seem a bit quiet in here.

"Is he alright?" I ask them.

"Inuyasha tends to go out to take a breather without telling us once in a while in these few years, but he will eventually come back. It's a bit unusual for him to go out when he has you to look after for a while." Miroku replies to me.

"I see…" I nod my head.

We then proceed to eat breakfast together, Rin and Sesshomaru will be leaving after breakfast. It's still quite a lively breakfast despite not having Inuyasha here, my mind keeps going to him though, wondering if he's alright or not. I can't help but wanting to know what really happened, what was Sesshomaru and Inuyasha talking about that made Inuyasha's behaviour change so much last night. Who's Kagome? Who is this person to him? I don't know if I have the right to ask them about something like this, but I want to try to help Inuyasha if I can. After breakfast is basically over, I put down my chopsticks and bow to everyone.

"_, what is this about?" Sango asks me confused.

"I know I don't have the right to ask this, but I can't help but notice that the whole atmosphere falls and becomes solemn when mentioning of "everyone" being here. I also can't help but notice that Inuyasha is the one that is the most affected. I want to know why, so if you don't mind, can I know?" I ask them.

There's a brief silence, I can feel the tension in the air.

"I don't know if telling you will be any help, it might just pull you into a world of melancholy as well. We don't want to do that to you dear, you seem to have so much joy, and we don't want you to lose that by telling you the past." Sango says.

"I'll be fine, I promise. I want to know so that I can try to ease the melancholic feeling, I want to help Inuyasha. I'm with him almost everyday, and I will be till I leave this place. I don't want to hear him trying to conceal things, and besides, I can tell when someone is hiding something by the tone of their voice and the way they speak, and Inuyasha is pretty bad at that. It will be hard to be with someone every minute of the day and know that they're not being themselves. So please, I know I'm not family, but perhaps I can help." I tell them.

"Perhaps, _ can help Inuyasha. Sometimes it takes someone outside of the family to help someone out of a dark hole." Rin says softly.

"Perhaps. If_ is determined to know, I think telling her will be alright, we have been mentioning the past quite a lot in front of her. I suppose we owe her this much." Sango agrees.

"Thank you." I reply with another bow.

"As you know, our "family" includes more people. There's us, Lady Kaede, the head village and elder priestess, we also mentioned another priestess do you remember that?" Miroku asks.

"Yes, I do. You never told me her name though." I mention.

"Yes, because we don't want to trigger Inuyasha. You see, that priestess's name was Kagome, she was Inuyasha's wife and our dear friend." Miroku continues.

Kagome, that name, that's who she was to Inuyasha, no wonder Inuyasha became so agitated when Sesshomaru mentioned her name.

"I see, where is she now? You said that she's a priestess and your friend, so I assume she would be about your age." I ask them.

"Yes, she would be around our age, but unfortunately, 3 years ago she passed away." Rin says.

3 years ago… that was before I lost my sight. I remember Inuyasha and Miroku coming to my village and I remember Inuyasha gazing at the portrait of the woman, he was acting different as he gazed at it. Was the woman in the sketch Kagome?

"The lady that I drew for Inuyasha that day 3 years ago… was that Kagome?" I ask Miroku.

"Yes, that was Kagome. She passed away a few months before we came to your village. Inuyasha's personality is rash and arrogant, but in these few years, he used it to cover what he is truly feeling. We have asked Inuyasha to be open with us, not to hold it in. But Inuyasha is stubborn, he is proud, it's like if he asks for help it will make him look weak. As a demon, I don't think Inuyasha wants to feel that way." Miroku replies.

I understand that, it's hard for someone to ask for help from others due to one's pride, but we have to understand that asking for help isn't a sign for weakness, when you have shouldered everything you can till you can't anymore, it shows how strong a person already is. Sometimes, we have to realize that life requires asking help from others when there's no other roads you can take. I wish Inuyasha can realize that.

"I see, how did Kagome pass away?" I ask them.

"I realize it may seem weird, Miroku and I are in our 70's, Kagome is in the same age range as us but she left before us. You see, Kagome wasn't from this time, she came from the future. In this world anything can happen, we live in a world of demons. Since she came from the future, we assumed that her body could not adjust completely to the world here despite living for over 50 years here. She lived out her life, but unfortunately she left before us due to her age. The world is cruel but life doesn't pity anyone." Sango adds.

"I see, you must have gone through so much together. I realize that she is Inuyasha's wife, but she was also all of your friend, when someone passes away due to age, we can all learn to move on in time, but why is Inuyasha still holding onto the past after 3 years?" I ask them.

"We were all devastated, when Lady Kaede passed away, we mourned, but in time we all moved on and accepted that fact that Lady Kaede lived out her life and it was time. We mourned for Kagome as well but we all moved on as well, the reason why Inuyasha is unable to move on is because, before Kagome, he was in love with another priestess named Kikyo. She gave up her life for Inuyasha, after Kikyo, Kagome came in and helped Inuyasha move on, and during that process Kagome and Inuyasha fell in love and married. Knowing that, Kagome's passing was a big blow for Inuyasha. " Miroku says.

"I understand now, Inuyasha lost someone before, and he lost another person that he loves. It leaves a big hole in your heart." I say lowering my eyes.

"Yes, I suppose the sad thing is that, Inuyasha has to live through the life of losing another person that he loved. Inuyasha is a demon, he has centuries ahead of him when humans only have years. They say that the person left behind suffers the most, and Inuyasha is that person. We want to help him but Inuyasha kep pushing us away. Inuyasha is stuck in an endless cycle of lost and heartache, he can't move on. He already lost two people in his life, it will take a miracle to get through to him." Rin sighs.

"I think that Inuyasha is lost, it's like he's trying to find a place for himself now." Shippo chips in.

"They say that the gods envy the humans because, they live forever and humans don't. The fleeting aspect of life is what makes life beautiful. I understand now. Everything." I say with a nod.

"Now you know, I'll leave my stubborn brat of a younger brother in your hands." I hear Sesshomaru's voice cutting through the solemn atmosphere.

I raise my head, and I smile. I asked for this, and I said that I will do everything I can to help him, and I will. I'm stubborn as well.

"Now that I know everything, I'll do my best to help him with the time the I have here. I'll start by having him open up to me himself, and I'll go from there. Thank you for trusting me with this hidden past, I'll do my best." I say to them determined.

"Thank you_, we hope that you will be that miracle. Inuyasha was a lively and loud demon, it's hard to see him as a shell now. Just hearing your determination and compassion is more than enough for us, by the time you leave and if he's still like he is now, then we won't know what to do but hope that he can pull through himself." Rin says.

"I like to believe that everyone can be saved if the people that cares give in their effort to want to see that person be themselves again, even if it means asking for a hand from others. I believe that time is all we need and a bit of understanding. I have a question for you Lady Rin, do you fear that one day Sesshomaru will lose himself after you're gone?" I ask her.

She doesn't respond for a few seconds, so I wait.

"I do and I don't. Everyone's afraid of death, but as long as we lived a fulfilling life, it's enough. I don't think Lord Sesshomaru will lose himself after I'm gone, because I told him that all I wish for when I'm gone, is for him to be happy. We realized what we will be facing when time comes to an end for one of us, but we both agreed to live out our lives together side by side. He knows love and is capable of loving a person and be loved, that enough will keep any being alive." She replies with confidence in her voice.

I smile at her response, it's something that I needed to know in order to get something through to Inuyasha if I want to help him. With that I have taken the job to try and help Inuyasha get over this high curb, I suppose this is something I can do to repay Inuyasha for all the help he has given me so far. Besides, I want to see Inuyasha be himself. They said that Inuyasha use to be brash and stubborn, lively and loud before losing Kagome, and I can see that, but the brash personality now is just a facade to hide his heartache. I want to know what the real him is like. After breakfast, Sesshomaru and Rin leaves. Miroku goes out to do his job, and Sango has to do her duty as Head of the village. That leaves only me and Shippo. Inuyasha still isn't in the village, so the first step is to find Inuyasha.

"Do you know where Inuyasha might be at?" I ask Shippo.

"Barely, he never tells us where he's going." Shippo replies.

Frustration immediately fills my being, I bite my lips as I think. But then something hits me, he's taking a breather. The place that he goes to rest is the cliff with the tree.

"Shippo, there's a cliff with a single tree not far away from here. Do you know where it is?" I ask him.

"I think I know where you're talking about, not a lot of people know about that place, but I think I've came upon it once when I was on my way home from the mountains." Shippo says.

"Great, can you lead me there, I think I have an idea on where he he might be." I say with a smile.

Shippo then links his arm with mine and he leads me to the destination. The snow crunches beneath our feet, the air is cool as it breezes against my skin. By the time we get there, my face feels frozen but I suck it up because I have a job to do.

"Are we here?" I ask Shippo.

"Yea, it's just up ahead, I see Inuyasha sitting in the tree, his red kimono stands out. It's not too far, it's just another minute of walking and you'll be there." Shippo tells me.

"Thanks Shippo. I'll handle the rest here." I say to him with a smile.

"Alright, don't push yourself too hard_ the last thing we want is seeing you down." Shippo replies.

"I won't, don't worry." I reply back.

I give him a hug, and I hear Shippo skipping away. I turn forward again and take a deep breath, with my walking stick as my support I begin to walk forward. Soon, I feel a big presence in front of me, I slow down and put my hands out. I soon feel the cold rough surface of wood, it's the tree trunk. I'm here, it's the only tree in the whole field.

"Inuyasha?" I call out.

"Huh?" I hear someone reply back dazed.

"Inuyasha are you up there?" I ask again.

"_?" I hear him reply.

Yep that's him, that strong voice that I'm so familiar with now.

"Yes, it's me. What are you doing up there?" I ask him.

"Oh shoot." I hear him say with a grumble.

I then hear him jump down and landing in front of me with a whoosh, the crunch of the snow is loud as he lands.

"I forgot to head back to the village last night, I fell asleep and I forgot to get you." Inuyasha grumbles.

"Hey, you don't need to explain yourself, after eavesdropping on you last night, I assume you would need some time alone to take a breather. I understand. Besides I know my way to the big hut by now, not having you beside me for an hour or two isn't going to kill me." I say with a smile.

"Right. I thought you came here to nag at me for abandoning you this morning." Inuyasha says with a sigh.

I then hear him plop down in the snow and lean back against the tree and then I hear him let out a sigh. I kneel down beside him and I lean back against the tree trunk a well. I can feel the faint heat radiating off of his body next to me, I realized how close we were sitting.

"Although it's just a sigh, but a single sigh can hold so much meaning. " I say into the quiet field.

"It's just a sigh, you don't need to overthink it." Inuyasha replies sounding distant.

"After 2 years of being blind, I can tell when a person is hiding something by the way they talk and from the tones of their voice. The weight of your sighs alone tells me there's a lot on your mind and heart Inuyasha. Of course after eavesdropping on you yesterday, my speculations has became more concrete." I say to him with a chuckle.

"Well maybe you're wrong, because I'm not hiding anything from you. What you heard last night isn't anything important and it shouldn't concern you, you're leaving in a few months anyway." Inuyasha says with a huff.

I listen to every single one of his words, the last few words stood out. "You're leaving in a few months anyway." Why did he say that last part? It seems as if he's tempted to speak his hidden feelings but he doesn't see the point because in the end it will all fade away into the white mist of Winter with no one to hear it. He said that because I will be leaving when winter ends, and in the end it will all be for nothing. Regardless, to me, every minute is precious.

"You are. You see, I like to believe that losing my sight may not exactly be a disadvantage for me. When you're looking at someone and listening to them speak, their expressions can deceive you when their voices are saying a complete different thing. This way, I can solely focus on one's voice and listen to everything that is hidden behind just a few words. Sometimes I feel like I can see the emotions behind the words spoken." I explain to him.

Inuyasha doesn't reply but I can hear his quiet breathing next to me, I turn my head slightly towards his direction but not looking at him.

"Listen Inuyasha, I don't want to force anything, I'm not going to force you to speak or tell me anything about yourself that you don't want to. But I want to let you know that I'll be here to listen if you need to, I know we're not close, we argue, we insult each other but I think after being together every single day for the past week or so, I would like to think that there's some kind of tolerance towards each other now. Sometimes I wish that we can talk like two normal beings for once, and I wish that time can be now. Keeping things hidden inside your heart and left unspoken can destroy a person, I don't want to see that happen to anyone, including you. I know I'm an outsider, but as a person, I'm just asking for a little bit of trust from you, the trust to let me understand you a little bit better." I say to Inuyasha in a soft tone almost in a way that only the two of us can hear despite being in an empty plain covered in snow.

I wait for him to say something, anything, the silence almost seems deafening. I don't realize it right away but I'm holding my breath. I think I may have gone way over my head here, what if things don't work out, what if I make things worse than it is already for him? Can I take the responsibility? I grip my walking stick tightly, I think I can. Inuyasha has guided me back home here everyday and to everywhere when he has been in the dark for years, the least that I can do to repay him is to give him a small light to use and see through the darkness of his past. I push aside my fear and doubt and confidently wait for his reply.

"Why are you doing this? What will you gain?" Inuyasha asks me all of a sudden.

I feel my mind going blank for a second, I didn't expect him to ask me this. I know why I'm doing this, but why did this question all of a sudden make me blank out?


	8. Digging For A Heart Buried In Snow

I let out a smile.

"I don't think I'm gaining anything much from it, but I feel like getting to know you better isn't such a bad thing. Why do you think I want something, stop making me sound like a heartless person. Besides, Miroku and the others wants you to be lively again. I suppose it will be nice to know the you from years before." I reply back with a teasing pout.

There's another brief silence from him, but I decided that I'll wait patiently until he replies. Until he completely pushes me away, that's when I'll give up. Otherwise, if there's small hint that he wants to talk, I'll try my best to make him want to tell me willingly.

"Why do you even want to know and dig into someone else's past, it won't help you much. So why bother?" Inuyasha asks me.

"There's a thing called first impressions, when I first met you I thought you were an arrogant jerk. But the things about first impressions, is that sometimes, it turns out to be completely wrong. You could say that I would like to get to know you better so that I can change my perception of you." I say to him.

"Maybe your first impression was right about me, maybe I am an arrogant jerk." He responds with a flat emotionless tone.

"You say that, but Miroku, Sango and the others don't think so… and I'm sure the people that use to be here remembers you as someone that made everyone smile with your liveliness each day. Everyone except for me, and from some occasions, I can sense that you're someone that's capable of doing things that's completely opposite of a jerk." I add with a small smile.

"How did you know if I was someone that made other's smile or not, how did you know I was lively or not? We only known each other for 2 weeks." Inuyasha asks me.

"Miroku and the others told me, and taking the words from people who has been by your side for over 50 years compared to 2 weeks, my first impression of you definitely changed. I just hope that you can open up to me a little bit, trust me a little, either if it's your unspoken feelings or pasts that you kept hidden away. I'll be here to listen." I reply back.

Silence fills the air, I can here Inuyasha's breathing. I want to do something , something to make him see that I'm here to help lighten up his heart a little. What can I do? I begin to tap on my walking stick but then something hits me, perhaps this may get something through to him.

"Inuyasha, I want you to try something." I say to him with a smile.

"What is it? You better not make me look like a fool." He replies with a grumble.

"Stop making me into a bad person, geez. You don't need to get up or anything, sitting here is enough, I want to try something with you. Are you willing to trust me and try it?" I ask him.

I hold my breath as I wait for Inuyasha to reply back to me, but then I hear a sigh.

"Fine, what is this thing that you want me to do?" He responds.

"I'm happy that you're willing to try this out. I want you to relax your body and mind, lean back against the tree trunk, close your eyes and listen." I tell him.

"What if I don't close my eyes, and don't lean my body against the tree trunk?" He asks me back.

I smile into the emptiness that fills my vision.

"You gave me your word that you will try it, so I will place my trust in those words." I answer him back.

Inuyasha doesn't respond back right away, but I hear him exhale and a light bump.

"Alright, my eyes are closed and I'm leaning against the tree trunk, now what?" He asks.

"I want you to relax your mind and heart, don't think of anything, free your body and mind from everything, and just listen to everything around you, follow the sound and let it guide you to wherever you desire." I explain to him.

"Alright." Inuyasha responds with some tint of life in his voice.

I position my walking stick against the other side of the tree trunk, when wood hits against wood it creates a quick echoless knocking sound. Making that knocking sound in a controlled repeated rhythm, it can be quiet hypnotizing. I wait for a few seconds and start to knock my walking stick against the tree trunk, immediately, "tock tock' sounds fills the space around us in a rhythmic beat. As I listen to the knocking, I also pay attention to Inuyasha's breathing. Right now his breathing is heavy and evident, a bit off beat , and filled with heavy emotions. I keep on knocking, since my walking stick is thin, each knock sends vibrations through my hands, adding on to the coldness of the Winter weather, it's painful, but I endure it. Minutes pass, and I continue to listen to his breathing. Little by little I can hear that his breathing has slowed down, becoming more controlled, more quieter. Like he's fallen into a slumber, I continue to knock a few more minutes, and I let my knocks become softer and quieter and eventually stop. I relax my body against the tree and I tilt my head towards Inuyasha and I listen to his quiet breathing, I suppose this could be a start. I want Inuyasha to relax, get some rest without thinking of anything. I'd like to believe that I accomplished it, I listened and I waited, listening to Inuyasha sleeping it lightens my heart a bit to see him at peace. That day when he was sleeping he said "Kagome's" name, but he didn't call out her name completely. He sounded so much in pain, and I know that feeling of losing someone you love. I lost my parents at a young age and became an orphan. With that, I feel that I have something in common with Inuyasha. A small smile forms on my mouth, I look into the emptiness as I listened to the nature and Inuyasha's breathing. Minutes goes by, and soon, an hour has passed. I don't feel tired at all as I waited for Inuyasha.

"Hmm…" I hear Inuyasha stir beside me .

"I'm glad to see that you got some rest." I say to him.

"Well, it's not like I don't sleep." Inuyasha says with a yawn.

"Sure you sleep, but tell me, have you slept this peaceful in a while? Without anything on your mind and heart?" I ask him.

"I guess not and how did you know? Why did you do this exactly?" Inuyasha asks me with a curious tone.

"When a person has something clouding their mind and heart, it will take them a while to fall asleep. Their heavy sighs and off rhythmic breathing shows us as well, yours was evident, so evident. You fell asleep quite fast earlier, you seemed at peace. You let everything go and emptied your mind didn't you?" I ask him.

"Yea… I tried, and before I knew it, I was gone, my consciousness was somewhere else, somewhere that made me feel free…" Inuyasha slowly says quietly.

Inuyasha doesn't sound like he's lying, he sounds slightly dazed as if he's trying to recall what happened, and that is enough to tell me that everything he said was true.

"I'm happy it worked out. You see Inuyasha, I wanted to show you something besides just wanting you to get a good rest. You allowed me to try this with you, and it had a good outcome. You trusted me, I want to show you that, you can trust me with other things as well, feelings, past, worries, thoughts, anything. What we done today is just a start, but I want to let you know that if you can trust me, I will try my best to help lighten any thoughts and feelings that are holding you down. I understand and know that everyone wants to create a mask so that no one can see past the surface and into their feelings and past, I have one myself. I think we have things in common, and perhaps we can use those things that we have in common to have a heart to heart conversation, a normal conversation between two beings." I say with a smile.

Inuyasha doesn't say anything, the winter air breezes across the empty field.

"You say that you have a mask, what are you hiding underneath it? I you want me to trust you with my past and hidden feelings, then tell me yours first." Inuyasha tells me.

A bargain huh? Sure I can do that, if it means to have Inuyasha trust me with his inner thoughts and past, then I'll tell him. I turn my face forward again even thought I can't see anything.

"Alright. There's a saying that goes, smiling doesn't necessarily mean you're happy, it just means you're strong. When I was about 15, both of my parents passed away, I was left an orphan. I had a place to stay in an orphanage, but that was about it. I remember like it was yesterday. I was alone, except for the fact that I'll be blind in a few years accompanying me everyday of every minute. It was scary knowing that one day I won't be able to see the colors of the world I reside in, it took me a while to move on from losing my parents. They left me at an age when they weren't suppose to, but they did, so it hit be pretty hard. But I knew that I can't keep chaining myself in a world that I wished could've happened, because by doing that, I may be missing out on what the future can hold for me. I let time do it's job and I told myself to let my past go little by little each day, because I knew that telling myself to move on right away won't do me any good. That's the thing with minds, the more you tell it to do something, the more it won't, and the more you don't want it to do something, the more it will. So the only thing that you can do, is to tell it to move on slowly and little by little till eventually, it becomes a distant memory. We can never forget something completely, but we can learn to put it behind us, lock that memory away in the deepest part of our minds. I eventually did, now whenever I think of my parents, I don't focus on the painful past, but on the good times. Years has passed since then, and I realized that the memories of my past don't even come up anymore. I learned to let go of the things that pained me, it took a while because I had no one to talk to, I thought I was meant to be alone, but I managed by myself over time. A few years of hard mental work, but the effort has allowed me to walk onto a completely new path." I tell him recalling my memories.

"I didn't know you were an orphan... I'm sorry." Inuyasha says with a gentle tone.

"Well I don't go around telling everyone this, you're the first person I told since. I would have kept it hidden till the end, but I'm opening my unspoken past to you so that you can trust me with yours." I answer him with a soft chuckle.

Inuyasha lets out a heavy sigh, and I hear slight movements.

"Since you told me a part of your past, I suppose it is right that I tell you mine. What do you want to know?" Inuyasha says depleted of energy in his voice.

"It's not what I want to know, it's what you want to get off your chest. I want you to see me as a box, a box that you can just pour out your unspoken feelings into and hopefully get the reward that is at the bottom. But, if you want a start, how about tell me who's name you were trying to call out that day when you were sleeping up in the tree?" I say to him.

"What did I say exactly?" Inuyasha responds back.

"You said "Ka" it seemed like you were saying someone's name but you trailed off. When I asked you that day you just brushed it off. So I want to know if you were calling someone's name instead of "basket" and if so, who is this person to you." I remind him.

There's no reply from Inuyasha for a second, but he lets out another sigh.

"Yes, I assume I was calling someone's name, the name was Kagome, she was my wife." Inuyasha finally responds.

So it was her, he's still holding on to her. I nod in understanding, I already know the history and who she is, but I want to hear it from Inuyasha himself.

"I see, I can't help but notice that everytime Miroku and the other's mentions about how they wish everyone were here again, your mood changes into a solemn one, and especially when Sesshomaru mentioned Kagome. Did something happen?" I ask him.

"Yes, she passed away a few years ago." Inuyasha goes on.

"How did she die?" I push on.

"From age, she just reached into her 70's but passed away. It sounds funny and pathetic because in this era, it's about time that someone of her age has passed on…but I just can't let her go." Inuyasha says quietly.

"I don't find it pathetic at all, she was your wife, she was someone you loved and wanted to spend the rest of your life with. For a demon, 70 years must be nothing to you all, but for us, it feels almost a lifetime. So missing someone you love and unable to move on from their memories isn't something pathetic at all. Everyone wants to hold on and wish the person dearest to them are still here, so the only way is to chain ourselves to the past, to the past when everything was what we wished for." I explain to him.

"I suppose you're right…" Inuyasha breaths out.

"How long have you and Kagome been married for?" I ask trying to lighten the mood by switching topic.

"Over 50 years. She actually came from the future, Miroku, Sango, Shippo, Kagome, and I went on so many journeys together back then. We had laughs, we argued, cried, and quarrelled, but we also had fun." Inuyasha says recalling the past.

As I listened, I can feel a tint of life in his voice as he explains, and I feel that that there, is another progress. He's able to talk about the past.

"I see, a lot of beautiful memories, and fun ones as well. You all grew up together, matured together and started a family together. Now I'm curious again, but did you and Kagome ever had a child?" I ask him.

I hear Inuyasha sigh.

"No, no we never had a child in the 50 years that we were married." He says.

"Why not?" I say to him.

"I wanted to start a family, but Kagome became a priestess. Priestess are meant to be pure and they are to keep their chastity, so that prevented Kagome and I from having children. It was a wish that never came true for me but I had to understand that being a Priestess was important to Kagome. So I let that wish go. The only possibility was for Kagome to retire from her Priestess role, which was doubtful." Inuyasha answers.

"So you wanted children, it's a nice hope to have. You know, listening to you telling me about your past and how you are feeling, it helped me to understand you in a complete different angle. You mentioned that you were all like family, so I assume that Kagome were very close to Miroku and the others as well, but they seem to have moved on from the loss, can you tell me why you are still holding onto Kagome? If it's comfortable to talk about of course." I ask him.

I know why because Miroku told me, but I want him to tell me personally. Because this question will provide me the answer as to why Inuyasha is chaining himself to the memories of Kagome. I wait for him to reply like I have for the past hour or so.

"Because Kagome has helped me move on from a barricade in my life. Before Kagome, I met a priestess named Kikyo, which was Kaede's older sister. We were in love, but Kikyo died after deciding to give up her priestess role and spend the rest of her life with me. Then years later, she was resurrected. At the same time, Kagome came into the picture and along with Naraku, a demon who wanted the Shikon Jewel for evil and killed Kikyo. Kagome and I spent a lot of time together due to us trying to extinguish Naraku, and over time we fell in love. But, after meeting Kikyo again, my affections for her came back. Kagome did her best to hide her feelings for me, she did a lot for me. When Kikyo sacrificed herself for me the second time, Kagome was there to comfort me. Slowly, she helped me move on and let go of Kikyo. I eventually realized that Kagome was the one, she has always been there and did her best to make me happy. Now, she's gone, and I feel that I'll never find someone like her again. We've been together for over 50 years, we rarely fought, we loved each other, but I felt that there were so many things that Kagome and I didn't do, the places we couldn't go to because of her duty as a Priestess. Since she's gone now, I could only hold on to the past, but the past contains a lot of moments that eats away at me." Inuyasha tells me in one go.

"A lot of regrets, regrets that you couldn't do more for her after all she has done for you." I say labeling the emotion.

"Ya…" Inuyasha replies with a sigh.

"It's natural to feel that way, but I want to tell you something Inuyasha. Kindness and compassion is one's choice, a payback is not necessary. You don't need to give something back that's more than what they gave you, it would be pointless then. Sometimes, the only thing the person wants in return, is an appreciation and realization, Kagome showed you kindness and compassion, and her love. Having you love her back and realizing the effort she has put in to see you smile, that is the biggest reward. You don't need to beat yourself down and be chained to regrets and the past, they say that the ones left behind hurts the most, but the ones that left would have never wished to bring pain to the people that loved them. Can you take in what I'm saying?" I ask him.

I wait for him, wait for him to comprehend everything because I know Inuyasha's stubborn. But, I trust that he can open up his heart a little and at least think about what I said.

"I understand what you're trying to get through to me." Inuyasha says with a lighter sigh.

I then hear him lean back against the tree trunk again, the field becomes quiet. I close my eyes and breath in the cool air.

"After telling me all this today, how do you feel? Years of bottled up feelings, you finally let it out." I ask him after a few seconds of quiet and serenity.

"I feel that I can breathe now, now that I have let it all out, my heart and mind feels lighter." Inuyasha responds back with a lighter tone in his voice as he inhales and exhales deeply.

"I'm happy to hear that, they say that sometimes, it takes someone out of the family to make a change. If today has helped you in any sort of way, I'm happy." I say with a smile.

"It was difficult and somehow uncomfortable…but thanks." Inuyasha adds.

"No one said it was easy." I say with a grin.

I hear Inuyasha let out a "hmph", and I smile.

"I suppose, it's getting late, let's head back. I've seen enough of the white scenery for today." Inuyasha says getting up.

"Ya. I need to get up and move a bit, been sitting too long." I say with a stitch.

I use my walking stick to pull myself up, Getting up not even half way, I flop right back down. I shut my eyes and hold my breath, a strong paralyzing and tingling feeling runs through my legs. I've been sitting with a slight kneeling position for hours that they fell asleep and went numb. Not to mention, I just realize that my face feel slightly numb from the cold and along with my feet and hands. I suck in a sharp breath as I try to regain some senses back into my legs and hands.

"Are you alright?" Inuyasha asks me back to his normal sharp tone.

"I'm alright… but I think my legs fell asleep and it went numb from the cold." I tell him.

I hear him let out a sigh and then I feel a presence in front of me, at the same level as me.

"Inuyasha?" I say his name.

"Get on, I'll carry you back."Your nose is purple like a grape." He replies.

Inuyasha just offered to carry me back to the village, he's more thoughtful and compassionate than he perceives himself. I smile, I lean forward and I feel his silk kimono against my palms. I feel my way up his back until I find his shoulders, along the way I felt his long hair. They were slightly rough and thick, I part my kimono slightly so I can wrap my legs around his waist a bit. I lock my arms in front of his chest and I rest my head next to his slightly to the back, his long hair rests against my face. I can hear his breathing in front of me, Inuyasha's arms hooks around my legs and he stands up. I tighten my arms more around him and hold on tight.

"Don't choke me to death alright." Inuyasha says.

"If you say it again, maybe I will. Also, I think it's safe to say that our first impression of each other were wrong?" I reply back with a sarcastic tone.

"I think it's safe to say that." He replies.

Inuyasha let's out a quiet grumble, and I chuckle. Inuyasha then starts walking through the snow, His steps are rhythmic, step, step, It almost syncs with my heart beat. His breathing is rhythmic as well, it's soothing to listen to, not to mention I can feel the warmth from his body against my front side. I rest my chin on his left shoulder, his long hair tickling me occasionally. Something then comes to me.

"You know, this is the first time we are actually this close, you usually just grab my walking stick and pull me along." I say with a light chuckle.

"Hmm., I suppose you're right." He responds.

I smile and I adjust my arms around his shoulders, I close my eyes since I can't see anything and I listen to the crunching of the snow beneath Inuyasha's bare feet. As I listened to the snow, I unconsciously hear Inuyasha's breathing, his inhales and exhales. How lighter they sound, they sound free of being weighed down by his past, his past that he opened up to me about today. I smile knowing that Inuyasha trusted me today, enough to let me see into his heart by his words and allowing me to dig it out from being buried in the cold snow.


	9. Putting The Skills To Good Use

Since then, 2 days has gone by, the snow is still coming down by the gentle touches of the frozen liquid on my skin. Since that day of helping Inuyasha open up to me, he seems a tiny bit more relaxed. Although relaxed, but I can still feel that he's holding on to some things. One step at a time right? I want to give him some space to think things through for himself, after that day, I feel that our bond has improved quite a lot. We still banter, but I suppose it's needed if you want to lighten up the mood once in a while. Since that day, Inuyasha has been going out by himself quite a bit, for the past 2 days he hasn't told me where he's going but I have a knack on where he is. Since I don't go to the tree often, I don't know my way there. Inuyasha comes back around late afternoon to evening, leaving the morning all by myself, well with the help of Shippo to guide me around. I feel bad for Shippo for having to take half of Inuyasha's job as my "unofficial eyes", but I also feel bad because of my blindness that I'm preventing Shippo from going out in the morning and afternoon to play with his own kind. Luckily, Shippo and I are on pretty good terms with each other so Shippo is alright with it. Shippo guided me through the village in the morning, because Inuyasha went off again. Shippo and I decided go to a tea shop in the village, it's nice to have some tea in the cold weather.

"How are you with your friends?" I ask him.

"Great! I'm getting along very well with the other young fox demons." Shippo replies with an energetic voice.

"That's wonderful to hear, it's funny to think that you're almost 80 but are still considered young. I believe foxes don't live in packs, but they can stay together in a group. I'm glad to know that you are happy with the others." I say to Shippo with a smile.

"It is, how are you and Inuyasha?" Shippo asks me.

"Well, That day, Inuyasha has opened to me, it took a while but I managed. Inuyasha is stubborn, so you have to be just as stubborn. The thing is, you can't force someone to tell you something, you have to give them time and space. I took the time and waited patiently for Inuyasha to open himself up and tell me his past." I say to Shippo quietly.

"I see, I guess it is right to have someone out of the family to help someone else. I suppose we were a bit pushy trying to get Inuyasha to move on, when you weren't here, trying to get Inuyasha move on and let go was hard, so some of us tried to do was tell him straight out to move on quickly because it's not good for him. Over time we realized that we shouldn't push him, so we backed off a bit to give him space. Guess we also realized it was a bad decision because Inuyasha has shut himself up even more. I'm grateful that you are trying your best to help that stubborn dog." Shippo says with a sigh.

"Yes, I could tell when I eavesdropped on the conversation between Inuyasha and Sesshomaru, good intentions from Sesshomaru, but his words came out a bit harsh. I suppose it's a bit of an appreciation payback for him guiding me for the past 2 to 3 weeks of being here. Besides… hearing Inuyasha being him is nice, I agree, it feels off not hearing Inuyasha being loud." I say with a light chuckle.

"Indeed, we all miss that. Inuyasha's loudness now isn't the same kind of loudness when Kagome was still here. You can hear the jokes and teasing in his words, but since, it's lifeless and only used to hide his true feelings so that we won't worry for him." Shippo replies.

"I understand completely, you guys are family, friends beyond being friends. You guys all tried to help him, and that is amazing. I'm here, and I've made progress with Inuyasha, I'll do my best to help him for the rest of the time I'm here. So leave it to me." I say to Shippo with a smile.

I suddenly feel arms around my neck and I almost topple over.

"Oof." I say in response.

"Thanks so much_, if you can get Inuyasha back, it's more than enough. We owe you a lot." Shippo says right next to my ear.

I hug him back, I can feel his fluffy tail swaying back and forth against my arm, his long fluffy hair brushes against my cheek and it tickles.

"No thanks needed, helping a person to return back to who they are meant to be is what we as people should do for others. I'm happy having you all giving me the confidence and trust to bring Inuyasha back." I reply back rubbing his back in comfort.

After having tea and cakes with Shippo, the two of us head back. I'm a bit tired so Shippo guides me back to my hut and then he goes off to find his friends. Miroku is out, and Sango is busy with the other elders in the village, so I might as well rest for a bit until Inuyasha comes back…whenever he does. I doze off for I don't know how long, since I can't see I have no sense of time. I open my eyes to the emptiness around me, I can feel my eyes moving around but nothing. I sigh, I get up and sit on my futon for a while trying to regain my senses. I find my walking stick and I get up, I dress warmly and I head to my front door. I can feel the cold air seeping in from the small cracks in the door, I shiver slightly. I open the door and take a step out.

"I thought you were never getting out." A blunt voice says.

I roll my eyes, glad to hear that he's back. I close my door and turn back to him.

"Glad to hear that you are back and well." I greet him sticking out my tongue.

"Hmph, well let's go, dinner is almost ready, guess you woke up at a good time." Inuyasha replies with a lighter tone.

"Thanks for getting me." I reply back with a smile.

"Ya ya, it's my job anyway." He replies back.

I feel a bit dull hearing him say that and I don't know why, I shrug it off. I step down from the step and my feet touches the deep snow, guess it snowed quite a bit while I was sleeping, I lose my balance slightly. I then feel someone grab onto my arm, their strong hands holds on tight as they try to steady me.

"The ground is covered in snow, you should hold onto something for support before you stepped down, luckily I was here or you would've toppled right into the snow." I hear Inuyasha say with a huff.

"Thanks for the help, but adding on the last part wasn't necessary. I would have been good without it." I reply back sticking out of my tongue again.

I take this split second to feel his grip on my arm, his hands are big and warm. I can feel his long nails grazing against my skin through my kimono sleeve, I feel safe with him holding on to me. He caught me before I toppled over and I'm thankful for that. I can feel my eyes wondering around on natural instinct, I can feel Inuyasha's grip loosening slightly.

"Come on let's go, Miroku should be back too." He says.

He then lets go of my arm, the warmth of his palm leaving. But then, I feel his other hand taking my wrist. His hand holds my wrist through my sleeve again, he then places my hand on his arm. I feel confused.

"Hold on, and let's go." Inuyasha says with a lighter voice.

"Aren't you going to grab onto my walking stick?" I ask him.

"The snow's getting higher and higher, you're going to fall over if I dragged you by the walking stick, besides, you walk slow so if I pulled just a bit faster you'll face plant into the ground. So this way is better for both of us." Inuyasha replies clearing his throat.

"So why did you guide me by pulling my walking stick before then?" I ask him.

He doesn't reply back for a few seconds, I didn't ask him in a mean way, it was to tease him. I can feel my mouth curving up into a grin. He then clears his throat.

"It wasn't snowing then, so it was easy for you to walk. Now come on grab on." Inuyasha replies.

He slap my hand on his arm lightly a few times to get me to hold onto him, I do so. He sounds slightly flustered but I let it go, I remember him telling me that he didn't want me to touch him so I suppose that's why he always guided me by pulling my walking stick. I think after that talk, he accepted me a bit which I'm happy about. I feel the soft fabric of his kimono sleeve, I can remember the vibrant red of his outfit. It's vivid in my mind, but his face, I'm starting to lose it a little bit. I guess I haven't seen him in years so I'm starting to forget what he looks like. I can only remember he has big amber eyes, white long hair, and a pair of dog ears, but his face… I practically forgot. I can feel the warmth of his skin through his kimono in the cold weather, I'm standing right next to him as I hold his arm.

"Let's go." Inuyasha says.

He starts walking and I follow right after him with my walking stick beside me to help me walk, he's walking in a moderate pace so that I can keep up. With Inuyasha beside me, I feel calm and safe. A few minutes of walking we finally arrive at the big hut, I hear Inuyasha lifting the curtains and I take a step inside. I can feel the warmth of the fire from the hut, so different than being outside.

"_ you're here, come let's eat dinner." Sango's gentle voice says guiding me inside.

"Good to see that Inuyasha is here with you as well, I suppose you had a relaxing morning?" Miroku says asking Inuyasha.

"I suppose I did, taking the morning time for myself is a nice breather." Inuyasha replies slightly flat.

"It's glad to see that you're holding onto Inuyasha's arm_." Shippo points out with slight joy and curiosity in his voice.

Huh? I then realize that I'm still holding onto Inuyasha's arm. I quickly let it go and clear my throat.

"The snow is piling up so I had her hold my arm so that she won't face plant." Inuyasha answers.

We then proceed to eat dinner together, Sango helped me put things in my bowl like she always has since I can't see.

"You seem to be in a lighter mood lately Inuyasha, I'm glad to see that." Miroku says.

"Well, I'm not sad or mad or anything, so I don't know what you are talking about Miroku. I'm fine alright?" Inuyasha replies back with a quiet groan.

"Alright, At least_ can keep you company. Say, why don't you take the morning tomorrow to take _ on a walk, you haven't been with her in the morning for the past 2 days. Shippo had to take over your job." Sango says to Inuyasha.

"It was nice to spend some time with Shippo, For the time that I'm here I barely got to talk with Shippo since he's always out, so it was nice. Inuyasha has helped me quite a lot in the past 2 weeks so I understand if he wants to have some peace and quiet. Everyone needs some time alone." I say with a smile.

"How thoughtful of you_, still I think someone should spend more time with you, no one better than Inuyasha right?" Miroku says.

"Fine, I'll spend the day with_ tomorrow." Inuyasha replies with a quiet grumble again.

I hope he isn't annoyed spending time with me, hopefully tomorrow won't be too bad… I mean our relationship should be on a friend's level now right? He still sounds like he has quite a few things bothering him, so hopefully I can help him unravel a bit more. After dinner, we all bid each other goodnight and Inuyasha walks me back to my hut. The snow crunches below our feet, I can feel the cold snow against my bare ankles since my feet are sinking into the high snow. I can feel my face going slightly numb and my nose.

"Where do you have in mind tomorrow?" I ask Inuyasha.

"Well we can't go too far because of the snow, you'll probably freeze to death." Inuyasha replies.

"Probably, so I'm guessing the tree and the cliff again?" I ask him with a chuckle.

"Well it's my go to place, if you have somewhere else in mind tell me." Inuyasha says with a stretch by the sound of his voice trying to get his words out.

"It doesn't really matter to me, I'm alright wherever you want to go because I can't seen anything." I answer him back.

There's a brief silence, the gentle feather light snow landing on my hands and hair, the crunches of the snow accompanies us.

"Alright, I'll see where else I can take you in this big empty place." Inuyasha finally replies.

"Thanks" I say with a smile.

"Here we are, get some rest I'll see you tomorrow." Inuyasha says stopping.

"Thanks for walking me back, and I'll see you tomorrow." I say to him as I step up onto the step.

"Stop thanking me, it's irritating." Inuyasha says with a grumble.

"If that's what you want, then I'll cut it down a little. You get some rest too Inuyasha." I say to him with a wave.

"Hmph. Well, see you." I hear him reply.

I hear his footsteps walking away in the deep snow, further and further into the distance. I listen until his footsteps completely disappears, the cold air dawns on me and I head inside. I shake off the snow on my head and outer wear, I change into my nightwear and I slide into my futon. The cold silk caresses my skin and I shiver slightly, it's cool but it's soothing. My opened eyes looks around in the dark emptiness of my vision, I let out a sigh.

"Hopefully, he can take me to somewhere more interesting." I think to myself.

I then finally close my eyes and slowly empty out my mind, and after a while I drift off into slumber. Times passes by and I then open my eyes, I stretch and sit up. I change my sleepwear into my kimono, I grab my walking stick and I prepare to head out. I open the front door, and I can feel the the cold air. The snow is still falling, light coldness landing on my skin.

"You slept well I see." A rich voice says.

"Inuyasha, you're here." I say recognizing his voice.

I smile knowing that he's here as he promised, he didn't head out by himself and instead waited here for me.

"Well I said I would spend the day with you did I not?" Inuyasha says with a huff.

"I'm grateful." I reply back sticking out my tongue in a teasing manner.

"Let's go." Inuyasha says stepping closer to the step.

I feel him nudging my arm with his own, I look down on instinct but then I realize that I can't see anything. I realize that he wants me to hold onto his arm again, just like yesterday. I feel a faint warmth in my chest knowing that, I glide my hand on his arm and close my palm around his strong arm, his warmth radiating through my hand.

"Thanks Inuyasha." I say with a smile.

"Ugh, why you thanking me again? I told you it feel awkward." Inuyasha grumbles.

"Sorry." I chuckle.

"Now you're apologizing… I don't understand you at times." He says with a sigh.

"Well you're more confusing than I am." I reply back blowing a raspberry.

After the small bantering with Inuyasha, we finally head over to the big hut. The moment I here the curtains lift, warmth welcomes me, both physically and emotionally.

"_! Morning!" Shippo's voices welcomes me.

"Morning dear." Both Sango and Miroku says with kindness in their voice.

"Morning everyone." I reply back to them with a smile and bow.

We all sit down and have a warm breakfast, afterwards, everyone has their own things to do like always, leaving only Inuyasha and I. I step outside and take a deep breath of the winter air, it's so cool that the inside of my nose feels cold. Although cold, but it's refreshing. I hear Inuyasha coming up beside me, since that day that he carried me on his back, I can always feel the warmth that radiates off his body when he's next to me now. It's soothing.

"Are you ready to go?" Inuyasha asks.

"Ya, just give me a few minutes, I want to go grab my papers and charcoal. I haven't drawn in a while so I'm afraid I'll get a bit foreign if I don't touch paper and the feeling of the charcoal stick." I say to him.

"An artist can get foreign?" Inuyasha asks me slightly curious.

"Yes we can, being an artist is like being a swimmer…" I begin.

"How does that make sense? An artist and a swimmer are two completely different types of people." Inuyasha interrupts me.

"Well, give me a second and I'll explain what I mean. An artist is like a swimmer, yes they are two completely different types of people but they do have things in common and same goes for a lot of different things. When a swimmer knows how to swim, they can never forget that skill. Same goes for artists, the moment that they know how to use a charcoal stick to draw or paint, they will know it for life. Although those skills will never be forgotten, but we can become unfamiliar with it if we don't practice. A swimmer can lose their strength and stamina without practice, and an artist will forget how to perfect the techniques of such mediums. You know what I mean?" I say to him.

"Ya, I think I get it now." Inuyasha slowly replies.

"I'm glad to hear that. Also, you and I are of completely different races as well, but we have things in common don't we and I think that as long as people have things in common, a strong bond will emerge. Now give me a while and I'll go get my stuff." I tell him with a smile.

"No No, like I said you're going take half the day, I'll go get it. Just stay here and don't move until I come get you." Inuyasha quickly interjects.

Before I can reply, I can hear him walking away in the high snow. I hear his steps fade away and I take a deep breath, I hold tightly to my walking stick. I feel the feather light kisses of the snowflakes landing in my hair and face, I tilt my head back and I close my eyes. I can feel the snowflakes drifting down one by one onto my face, but I can't see them. It's been years since I've seen the pure white of the world in Winter, and the flurry of snowflakes floating in the quiet air. I couldn't see the beauty of nature anymore, and it saddens me to know that. Although I can't see but I can feel still, I bend down and place my hand on the cold surface of the snow, I move my hand on top of the layer of snow. I let the snow glide over my fingers and I smile at the coldness, although it's beautiful, but I know that staying out in the cold without proper clothing can kill you. I stand up again and put my arm out and open my palm, I wait and feel the snow landing in my hand. I smile at the serenity and feeling, I can feel my eyes moving around but unable to see anything. I let the snow fall for a while and then I close my palm, small amount of water covers my palm as the snow melts from the heat of my body.

"I'm back." I hear Inuyasha's voice all of a sudden.

It surprised me slightly, I turn my head towards the direction of his voice. He came at the right time.

"Welcome back, thanks for getting my stuff for me." I say to him with a smile.

"Ya well, it's nothing. Come on let's go, and here I got you your blanket." Inuyasha says clearing his throat.

"A blanket? Will I be needing it?" I asked him confused.

'Ya, the place that we're going to will be colder than everywhere else. Come on." Inuyasha answers me.

"Wonder where this place is." I say.

"Well we have to start walking if you want to know." Inuyasha replies back with a matter of fact voice.

I stick my tongue out at him in annoyance, but I feel lighthearted at the same time. I feel him nudge my arm with his and I naturally hold his strong arm, I then let him guide me to wherever he has in mind. The two of us walk for about 20 minutes to half an hour, as we near to wherever this place is, the temperature seem to have dropped more. Inuyasha is right, I think I am happy that he brought the blanket, he is quite thoughtful. As we draw nearer and nearer, I can hear faint sounds of water, in a rhythmic timing I hear it swishes. Did Inuyasha bring me to the ocean? There's an ocean near here? I then feel Inuyasha stop walking.

"Are we at the ocean?" I ask him.

"Yea, kind of got the feeling that you would want to go somewhere else besides the tree, so I took you to the oceanside, the only other beautiful place here besides the village, the cliffside, and a waterfall near the village." Inuyasha replies back clearing his throat.

I smile as I hear the ocean waves swaying back and forth, I'm surprised the water isn't frozen in the cold Winter. It so soothing to hear the gentleness of nature, I let my mind go free for a second, but my smile not leaving my face. I then feel something drape over my shoulders, I quickly grab onto it before it falls off my shoulders. I realize that it's the blanket that Inuyasha brought, I turn to his direction.

"Come on, there's a tree trunk not far away we can sit down there." Inuyasha says.

I nod my head, I hold onto his arm again as he guides me back to the tree trunk that he mentioned. I lower my hand down to find the surface of the tree that is laying in the snow, dust aside the snow that covered the flat surface and I turn around and sit down. I feel Inuyasha sit down beside me, his warmth not far away. I look out into the open nothingness, but I can imagine the ocean in front of me swaying back and forth, what it would look like in Winter, and in Spring, Summer and Fall. I smile as I see the ocean in all four seasons.

"Hey Inuyasha, can you give me 4 pieces of paper and my charcoal stick?" I ask him holding out my hands.

I hear him unravelling my rolled up paper and take out a charcoal stick from the wrapped up paper, he then places them in my hands. I place the papers on my lap and I take the charcoal in my hand, I place it on the paper and I start drawing. The sound of charcoal gliding on paper fills my ears, I glide my other hand's fingers over the lines that I've created so I know where to go next from the dusty charcoal trail.

"What are you drawing?" I hear Inuyasha ask me.

"I'm drawing the ocean in all four seasons." I reply back with a smile.

"In all four seasons? But how would you know what it will look like when you haven't even seen it in all four seasons?" Inuyasha asks again.

I smile, there's a lot of things that I can teach Inuyasha I see.

"Remember what I said before? To draw and to imagine is like breathing for an artist, our minds have to constantly be thinking of ideas and filled with imagination. What you can't smell, you imagine, what you can't feel, you imagine, what you can't hear, you imagine, what you can't taste, you imagine, and especially what you can't see, you'd imagine what it would look like if you could. In Summer, I would imagine the warmth and the sun high in the sky with birds flying, and in the Spring, the blue green water swaying back and forth against the sand with people here and the birds in the trees nearby, and in the Winter, the water is frozen with snow on the sand and snowflakes floating about like feathers in a dream. The mind is a magnificent thing, it allows us to remember memories, people, it controls our body, and most of all, it allows us to imagine anything that we want." I explain to Inuyasha with nostalgia.

I then return back to sketching, Inuyasha doesn't reply back but I know that he understood what I'm trying to tell him. That was enough for me. Minutes passes and I finally finish all four drawings, I made sure that the ocean was drawn in different angles and with different surroundings as to match the seasons. I place them to the side and I place my hands in the thick snow, I grab a handful of snow and I clean my hands from the stained charcoal.

"Did they turn out alright?" I ask Inuyasha.

I hear the paper rustle as what I assume him picking them up.

"Ya, they all turned out alright." He replies back.

"Good, I'm glad." I say with a smile.

The two of us then look out to the ocean again, well, Inuyasha did while my eyes only faced in the direction. Silence fills the air for a few seconds.

"Why didn't you draw people in these four sketches?" Inuyasha asks me again.

"Well, there's no one to draw in the image, besides, no one are here whom I can place in the drawing. I can't draw myself, and you said that you don't like me touching you so I can't add you in the image since I don't remember what you look like." I reply back with a chuckle.

There's a brief silence, and I hear Inuyasha inhale quietly.

"Right…" He replies.

He sounds slightly, disappointed. If he asked me that question perhaps there were some intentions hidden. A question usually does regardless if it's straightforward or for fun. Perhaps this is a good time now for me to help him let some things go as to help him on the road of moving on.

"You've mentioned that you didn't really go anywhere with Kagome due to her role as a priestess." I mention to him.

"Yes…" He replies.

"How about going to those places now." I say with a smile.

He doesn't reply and I know that he's confused about what I said, but I know what I said.

"What do you mean?" He asks me curious.

"I'm asking how about going to those places now with Kagome?" I repeat myself.

"How? She's not here anymore." He asks me curious and confused.

"Remember what I said? An artist's imagination is everything, but artists aren't the only people who can imagine, everyone can. Including you Inuyasha. I can make your imagination happen." I explain to him.

"You're saying…" Inuyasha slowly says.

"Tell me all the places that you wish you went with Kagome, and I'll draw them out for you, with you and her in the drawing, that way it will serve as a conduit for your dream and wish that you couldn't fulfill before, ad hopefully…it can help you slowly move on little bit little." I say in a gentle tone.

Inuyasha doesn't reply back but I know he's thinking.

"Alright, but you don't know what we look like, so how will you draw us?" He asks me.

"I remember what Kagome looks like because you told me what she looked like years before, and she is beautiful. The only person that I don't remember is you Inuyasha, it's been years since I've seen your face. To be honest I practically forgot what you look like aside from your big amber eyes, long white hair, and dog ears. So if you trust me and allow me to touch your face, I'll be able to draw you into the picture with Kagome. So, will you trust me to fulfill this dream for you?" I ask him.

I wait for Inuyasha to reply, I hear him inhaling and exhaling.

"I suppose I'm at the point that I won't mind you touching me anymore. Go ahead." He finally says.

I nod and smile, I clean my hands one more time and I find his shoulders. After finding the shoulders I know where the face is by then.

"Excuse me." I say to him.

"Don't be." He replies.

I then slowly move my hand to his face and I let my fingers feel his skin and to his facial features and structures. I hold my breath as I do so in case he freaks out at me. My eyes are facing him but they are wondering around, he has soft lips that are full, he has defined jawline and high cheekbones, he has a high nose bridge and long eyelashes, his eyes feel big. He has thick eyebrows that goes upwards in an angle. I can feel all the defined facial structures, they seem perfect and well proportioned, if I can recall my faint memories, and adding it on the facial features that I just felt of Inuyasha, he is quite handsome. I feel his fluffy bangs against his forehead and I feel the soft dog ears on top of his head, they twitched when I touched them and I smile at the cuteness.

"Now I remember what you look like, it's been a long time but now I have it down in memories. Thanks Inuyasha." I say to him with a smile and a nod.

"Right." He replies clearing his throat.

I let go of his face and the soft skin, the gentle warmth of his face leaves my fingertips as I let him go. I didn't want to for some reason but I did, I then feel the tree trunk for my papers and charcoal stick. I face Inuyasha and I prepare myself.

"Now, think of all the places that you wished you could've taken Kagome, one by one explain the place to me, every detail of that place, what you see. Tell me everything, almost as if you are there as of this moment." I instruct Inuyasha.

"Alright… The first place, I wished I took Kagome to the tree by the cliff, the green grass covers the ground blade by blade, the tree covered in green leaves and strong branches, birds flying high in the sky as the mountains stands tall in the distance, rivers running below us and the flowers growing here and there." Inuyasha goes on to describe the first place.

I start to sketch out the cliffside, then added the tree, birds in the sky and the grass on the ground, I added the mountains in the distance and the barely visible river below. After I finish drawing those and decided on a angle, I start drawing Inuyasha and Kagome. I let my imagination go free, I drew Inuyasha and Kagome side by side sitting at the edge of the cliff side with their feet hanging off the edge as they look out. I remember and know what they look like so I just incorporated it all in. After a few minutes I finish the first drawing, I place it beside me and grab another piece of paper.

"Where to next?" I ask him.

"Here, the ocean. In the Summer, the sun is warm and high in the sky, the waves splashing onto the sandy beach as birds soar in the sky above us surrounded by clouds, seashells lies on the golden sand and the reflections of the mountains in the distance on the water surface." Inuyasha continues.

I draw the ocean and the sand, the mountains separating the page. I add a few birds and clouds in the sky, I then add Inuyasha and Kagome playing in the water. As I draw, I realize that the two places are places that Inuyasha has taken me to. I feel happy but sad that I got to experience all these places that Inuyasha wished he could've shown Kagome. As I think that, I have a slight pain in my chest, it didn't feel right for some reason that I'm here instead of her but at the same time I'm happy that I'm here. Another few minutes passes and I finish that one, I grab another piece of paper and I wait.

"The last place is in a field of flowers a bit far away from the village, in the Spring all colors of the flowers fills the field. Not far away is a big cave, the blue sky covers the space above and the horizon line holds the far away mountains that stands tall and strong." Inuyasha says describing the last place to me.

I draw everything out and I draw Kagome and Inuyasha sitting in the field of flowers with only their shoulders and heads visible. I then place it down beside the other two, my hands feel numb at this point.

"You only have three places?" I ask him.

"Yes, I don't want to come up with too much or else I'll just trap myself in an endless cycle again. These all look good, I really felt like I was there with her as I described it." Inuyasha says quietly.

"Ah I see, well I'm happy that they turned out alright and hopefully helped you slightly." I say to him with a nod.

"Why are you doing so much for me? We hated each other in the beginning." Inuyasha suddenly asks me.

I take a deep breath and I smile.

"Because I want to, and I want you to look forward to a future Inuyasha, a future without chains and binds that's keeping you stuck in the past. I want you to be happy and lively again, because I know that that's the real you. You had wishes, I just used what I could to make them happen for you despite it was only on paper. By telling others your inner most feelings and thoughts, it will lessen the weight on your mind and heart, you had a lot so I wanted to lighten it for you a bit and slowly bit by bit, I hope that you will return back to the normal you." I answer him like I did a while ago.

I smile and shift my eyes somewhere else, I take a deep breath, I can feel my nose going numb and so are my cheeks. My hands are almost freezing and numb, I put aside my charcoal stick and I grab another handful of snow to wash my hands with, I then rub my hands together to try and warm them up. I can hear the gentle whispers of the winter air blowing across the place and Inuyasha and my breathing, they all seem so loud and clear. My eyes wonder around aimlessly as I just stay there with a smile on my face. I feel a lock of my hair falling to the side of my cheek, it didn't really bother me so I let it be. The next thing I know I feel something brushing it aside gently, it surprised me. I turn my face to the side slightly and I then realize that Inuyasha is sitting beside me. I raise my eyebrows in curious.

"Never knew that for someone who can't see, they can imagine a whole world in their mind and so detailed than someone who can see…" Inuyasha says softly almost in a daze.

"Are you complimenting me?" I ask him with a smile.

I feel him retreat his hands quickly and clear his throat.

"No, I'm not complimenting you, I'm just saying in general." Inuyasha quickly replies.

I feel a smile come upon my face, Inuyasha is kind indeed. But gets embarrassed too easily.

"Thanks Inuyasha, that means a lot coming from you." I say to him.

I then turn my head forward again and then let my eyes wonder around in the emptiness.

"I never asked you this, but what do you see exactly? Do you see faint colors? Shapes?" Inuyasha asks me.

"Everyone is different I assume, but for me… I see nothing. It's just emptiness and no colors. Although I don't see anything but all the things that I've known before I lost my sight are vivid in my mind." I explain to him.

"You met me before but you said that you don't remember what I look like, I feel insulted." Inuyasha says with a huff.

I smile at his childishness, I turn my head to his direction again. Without thinking about it, I lift my right hand and find his long hair. I gently hold a lock of his thick hair in my hand.

"Yes I don't quite remember you, I could only remember the basic details that stood out, like your fire red kimono, bright amber eyes, long white hair, and those cute dog ears on top of your head. Every person's face is different and unique, seeing them once without examining them too deeply can easily allow someone to forget. It was for me, I couldn't remember what you looked like because you didn't want me to feel your facial structures since…or touch you to begin with. But I finally remember what you looked like as my memories slowly came back to me while feeling your face." I say to him.

"I see, you better not think I look like a dog in your imaginative head of yours." Inuyasha says with a huff.

I chuckle at his response, and I shake my head.

"When I first met you, I would have imagined you as a misbehaved wild dog despite having a human face, but after getting to you know a bit better. I remembered that you had a human face and you looked, quite handsome if I can recall. After feeling your facial proportions and structures, it helped cement that view." I answer him with a smile.

Inuyasha doesn't reply back but I can hear him let out a quiet sound of surprise. I let his hair sift through my fingers and I let my eyes wonder around a little and I look away, I feel my face slightly becoming warm as I realize what I said. I clear my throat trying to loosen up the tension.

"You have nice eyes." Inuyasha blurts out unexpectedly.

I turn my head towards his direction, did he just?

"Inuyasha…" I say his named dazed.

"What? I just said that you have nice eyes, it's a compliment alright, but don't overthink anything. It's not like I can't give compliments, I'm capable. Don't look at me like I'm a jerk who can't say nice things." Inuyasha answers with a huff.

I feel my chest becoming light and fuzzy and I don't know why, but it's a nice feeling. Hearing a compliment from him is rare I suppose so it feels special, I smile at his response.

"Thanks Inuyasha." I say to him softly.

"Ya, let's go now, your nose is red purple and your face is white. We better head back before your nose falls off." Inuyasha says.

"I envy you that you don't get to feel cold." I reply back sticking my tongue out at him.

"You humans are just weak. When you get cold you need warmth, and when it gets too hot you need cold. Like make up your mind." Inuyasha replies back blowing a raspberry.

"Well you have dog blood running through you and you're a demon but... I suppose you have a point." I say thinking about it.

I hear Inuyasha let out a "hmph" with a lighthearted tone almost as if to stifle a chuckle, I let out a quiet laugh. I feel the atmosphere lighten up just from this moment, the two of us practically laughed together and that is memorable. Being with Inuyasha is quite fun, I get to learn so much about him and understand him the more time I spent with him. I feel my laughter slightly quiet down and my smile becoming more subtle, I imagined Inuyasha's face in my mind. How I wish I can see his face again, wonder what his smile would look like. Unfortunately, I don't think I will see his smile in the future, but being able to hear his voice and know that he's here by the feel of his warmth next to me, is enough. I hear Inuyasha stand up and nudge me on the arm lightly.

"Come on let's go." Inuyasha says in a pretty nice tone.

"Ya." I reply back with a nod.

I slowly find his hand with my own, but I wrapped my hand around his wrist. I didn't touch his hand, it doesn't matter because he wrapped his large hand around my wrist as well. The warmth of his hand surrounds the skin on my wrist, I then feel him pull me up. I stumble slightly as my feet sinks into the snow, I then let his wrist go, the thing is, I feel his hand letting mine go after I let his go. I let it go and I hold onto his arm again, He then guides us back to the village. Inuyasha carries my art supplies and the sketches that I've drew for him.

'What are you going to do with the sketches?" I ask him.

"I don't know, I suppose I'll put it somewhere for the time being." He replies with a sigh.

"I see, I'm happy to hear you explain things to me in details Inuyasha, all the places that you wanted to be at with the person you loved it allowed me to sketch out something beautiful and meaningful, thank you." I say to him giving his arm a gentle squeeze.

"You wanted me to do it, so I just complied…but I suppose I should appreciate your thoughtfulness." Inuyasha replies clearing his throat.

I smile at his response, the snow is still falling in the afternoon. The faint sound of the ocean waves is soothing but we are walking away and soon it completely disappears. The snow crunches beneath us as our feet sinks ankle high into the cold softness. The weather is cold, but I don't feel that way when Inuyasha is nearby or right next to me. Perhaps it's his body heat that radiates off of him and the proximity between us, it's soothing and comforting. But I wonder how much longer I can feel this warmth in the middle of Winter.


	10. A Chime Of Realization

The first month is practically over, but the snow doesn't slow down for anything. 3 months to go, or at least that's what I assume. It's been another 3 days since then, the two of us decided that the morning will be for Inuyasha, he will take the morning to have his alone time. but sometimes I don't know when he actually returns so sometimes I wait for half the day till he comes back when he could've been back 3 hours ago and I don't even know. I wonder what I can do so that I'll know when he's back or nearby, it's mind boggling. So when he's out, I just wonder around the village because I don't want to keep Shippo tied to me. I walk through town one day, hoping to see if I can bump into Sango since she's supervising around the village. The snow lands in my hair and I can feel snow burying my feet up to my ankles, I have extra layers of clothing so that I can keep myself warm. My walking stick sinks into the snow as well and it takes a while to get it out. Walking for a bit and pulling my walking stick out is making me sweat a bit, it's irritating. I can hear some people out and about, but it's winter so not a lot of people are out. I take a deep breath and wipe the droplets of sweat from my forehead, after letting out a long exhale I can feel the chilly wind against my face. I let out a shiver. Probably a bad idea to go out by myself, but I can't just stay cooped up all day until Inuyasha comes home. I feel slightly lost, but I know there are people out so I should be alright if I get lost. It seems like everyone knows where the big hut is, so I know I can always find my way back. Some people are out doing business so the streets will never be empty.

"_?" A gentle voice says from the right of me.

I turn my head and my eyes aimlessly move around.

"Sango?" I ask recognizing her voice after weeks of being together.

"_, what are you doing out here by yourself?" She asks me surprised.

I hear her coming up beside me and taking my hand in hers, I show her a smile.

"I didn't want to stay all day in my room, even if Inuyasha isn't here I can still walk around and getting to feel the winter weather is nice." I reply back to her.

"Inuyasha is out by himself again." Sango says with a chuckle and a sigh.

"Yes, but you know I don't mind, he needs some space. Completely understandable." I reply with a chuckle back.

"It's understandable, but seeing you out here by yourself isn't right. I'm sorry that I can't spend a lot of time with you_." Sango says with regret in her voice.

"Don't be, you have done so much for me already I don't want you to look after me when you have the role of village head. So you don't have to worry about me Sango, I'm alright. What are you doing now by the way?" I say to Sango with a smile.

"It's nice to actually find some time and talk with you, I have just finished helping out a family who needed some guidance. Come, let's return back to the hut and talk there." Sango says guiding me back towards the direction of the big hut.

The two of us walk back through the snow, the fireplace is lit and makes the whole room warm. I let out a shiver as my body adjusts to the temperature change, I take off my outer clothing and the two of us sit down by the table as I hear hot water being poured in two cups. Looks like Sango is making tea for us, I thank her.

"How are you and Inuyasha? Is he still picking on you?" Sango asks me with a chuckle.

"I think we are improving a lot, I have come to understand Inuyasha quite a bit and he has opened up to me as well." I explain to her with a smile lacing my face.

"That's wonderful to hear dear, what have you learned from Inuyasha?" She asks me curious.

My smile becomes subtle as I think of Inuyasha, I can feel my eyes softening.

"Inuyasha, well.. one thing for sure is he's stubborn and slightly passive. He and I teases each other a lot but there's so much more to him. He tries to cover for himself when he gets embarrassed and it's kind of cute, He's passionate and he has wishes and dreams and knowing that he still has those aspects, means that with a bit more work he may just return back to his old self." I say softly.

"Your compassion and kindness to try and save someone from their past is something to be greatly admired, including your artistic talent. Wish that Inuyasha can spend more time with you, you are such a lovely young lady." Sango says.

"Thank you Sango, but I'm just like everyone else. What do you do when you need Inuyasha or to get him to listen?" I ask her.

"Well, if he's around, we would just ask him. But when Kagome was still here, she was the one that kept him in check." Sango replies with a chuckle.

"Kept him in check? What do you mean?" I ask her confused.

"Inuyasha use to be very mischief and a troublemaker, so in order to keep him in check, a necklace was placed on him called "The Beads Of Subjugation" Kagome was the only person who could activate the power of the beads. Then, when Inuyasha acts rashly or disobeys or be rude, she says the word "sit", and the beads would drag Inuyasha into the ground and that was how Kagome kept him in check." Sango says with a gentle chuckle.

That sounds so interesting and slightly funny. I can't help but let out a mental laugh.

"I see, is Inuyasha wearing it now?" I ask her not quite remembering if I felt the necklace around his neck.

"No not anymore, before Kagome passed away, she removed the necklace from around his neck. She wanted Inuyasha to be free because she couldn't be next to him anymore. She lived a fulfilling life with Inuyasha and by having the beads around his neck, she knew that she is chaining him to the memories of her. We have placed the beads away because it's no longer needed and it would only serve as a chain to the past if Inuyasha continues to wear it." Sango tells me with a sigh.

"I understand, has Inuyasha ever asked about it? Did he want to wear it ever since Kagome's passing?" I ask her again.

"He asked us once, but we told him that it shouldn't be worn again. I suppose after decades, it has been a part of him. We have come to the conclusion that by wearing it, it was the only symbolic object left between him and Kagome that hold history. He knows where he is by wearing it, like he is still with Kagome. A place where he thought he belonged." Sango answers me.

A place where he thought he belonged, my heart ached for him. I wish I could do something for him. I begin to think, I feel my fingers twisting around in each other as I listened. My hands, I can draw, but I remembered that I can also make things because my father taught me how to in the past. Perhaps I can make something for Inuyasha, something meaningful. I smile and I lift my head back to Sango.

"Sango can you take me out and to a jewelry stand? I want to buy some things." I ask her.

"Of course, you want to buy some jewelries to wear or to give someone?" She asks me.

"I want to make something and give it to someone." I tell her with a smile.

"Alright, let's go, there's a stall not too far away that sells ribbons jewelries and charms." Sango replies with a light tone.

Sango guides me out again into the cold and we arrive at a stall, it's covered with a tarp so the snow would not fall on the charms.

"Ah. Lady Sango what can I do for you today?" A woman's voice asks.

"Hello dear, this young woman here beside me wants to buy some things I hope that you have what she needs." Sango replies greeting her.

"Of course, I will try my best." The owner replies.

"Thank you, do you have an arm's length of red silk ribbon and two charm bells with rings that I can put the ribbon through?" I ask her.

"Of course we do, here we are, an arm's length of silk ribbon, and here are some small metal rings that are cut so you can adjust the size. Last but not least, some bells." The owner says handing me everything into my open palms.

When the bells came out, I can hear the beautiful magical chimes that the bells made, they sound heavenly and light, although light but they were clear and loud enough to hear from a distance away if wrung with enough force. They are small, and they have cloth swirls woven around them to incase the bell. How beautiful, I wish that I can see it. I smile as I gently shake the bell, the sound filling my ears.

"Thank you." I say to the shopkeeper.

"No need." She replies with a kind tone.

I pay for the materials and Sango leads me back to the hut. Afternoon is over and dinner time is coming, I did my best to help out Sango as she prepares dinner. Surprisingly I actually helped her out more than I thought and I'm happy about that. Times goes by and then I hear the curtains lift, the cold winter air coming in slightly.

"We're back, and I got Inuyasha too." I hear Miroku's cheerful voice.

"I'm back." Inuyasha replies with a monotone.

"Welcome back." The two of us greets them.

"I'm also back!" I hear Shippo's voice shouting as he comes in.

"Welcome back Shippo." I say greeting him with a smile.

After dinner is prepared, we all sit down for dinner together. With the warm fireplace next to us, the coldness didn't even come close to bothering us. After dinner and having tea together, we clean up and decided to head to bed. Inuyasha guided me back to my hut like usual, my hand around his arm as my other holds onto the walking stick.

"How was your morning?" I ask him.

"It was alright, quiet but alright." He replies with a sigh.

"Did the quietness help in anyway?" I add.

"I suppose in a way, I took a nap and I managed to keep my mind clear for a while. So I suppose it helped." He says.

"Good, let's do something together tomorrow." I suggest.

"You sure sound determined? What if I don't want to?" Inuyasha asks me back with a teasing tone.

"Well if you don't want to then I guess I'll just have to push my surprise to another day." I say with a sigh.

"Surprise, what surprise?" Inuyasha asks with slight curiosity in his voice now.

Gotcha, he sounds just like a dog hearing the sound of a toy not far away that caught his attention. I can't help but smile.

"Since you're curious, I assume that you're up to do something tomorrow?" I ask him with a chuckle.

I hear him let out a low grumble.

"Fine. Ok, We're here." Inuyasha replies.

"Great, guess I'll see you tomorrow. Thanks for walking me back." I reply back to him letting go of his arm.

"Sure, the surprise better be worth it or I'm never talking to you again." Inuyasha grumbles.

"I'd like to believe that it will be worth it." I reply back with a smile.

I hear Inuyasha let out an exhale and then yawns.

"Well, we'll see tomorrow, get some rest." Inuyasha says.

"Night." I respond back with a nod.

I hear him walk away and wait till his footsteps completely fades into the night, I have to listen carefully because the open night covers his already faint footsteps. I turn around and step into my house, I change into my nightwear. I take out the wrapped up materials that I bought today from my kimono and place it on the table in the room, the gentle chimes of the bell echos through the room and stop. I then lay down into my futon. I close my eyes and thoughts go through my mind. I want to give something special to Inuyasha, or in this case, make something. I want to give him something so that he can slowly let go on the object that is binding him to the past and focus on something else that can keep his mind in the present and hopefully the future. I let out a deep exhale and I slowly start to empty my head, and over time, I doze off. When I come to, I assume it's morning. I sit up and I take a few seconds to regain my senses, I open my eyes slowly. I hope that I can see something, but I know it's a wish that won't be coming true for me. I sigh in disappointment, I get up and dress into my kimono. I go to the table and I place the bundle of materials back inside my kimono, I just loosely bundled them up and placed them inside my kimono. I take my walking stick and I open the front door, the cold air hits my skin like always. I can feel a faint presence nearby.

"Inuyasha?" I ask into the open.

"You're up, now let's go." His voice says cutting through the quiet nature.

"So pushy." I reply back sticking out my tongue.

"Well, I'm hungry so let's go." Inuyasha replies back with no seconds to waste.

I let out a grin and I take hold onto his arm after he nudged me like usual. The two of us walk to the big hut together with no words between us, it doesn't seem awkward because I'm use to it and besides, we're at the point where we don't really need to start a conversation if we don't need to.

"Morning!" Miroku, Sango, and Shippo's voice says greeting us after we enter inside.

"Good morning everyone!." I reply back.

"Good to see Inuyasha this morning and not out today." Miroku says.

"Well, we decided that we'll take today to go out and do something since he ran off by himself yesterday and abandoned his job as my "unofficial eyes".' I say turning my direction towards Inuyasha.

"What?" He replies back flatly.

"Well, it's good for Inuyasha to have his job back after a day or two." Sango says with a chuckle.

We sit down and have breakfast together, after breakfast Inuyasha helps me get my art supplies and the two of us head to the cliffside so that Inuyasha can have his quietness and I have my walk and a place for me to feel the quiet coolness while drawing. I sit below the tree while Inuyasha lounges in the branches.

"So what exactly is the surprise that you said yesterday?" Inuyasha asks me as I'm drawing.

"Be patient, a good boy should be patient so that they can earn the reward." I say with a grin.

Inuyasha doesn't reply back, but then I hear him groan.

"You did not just talk to me like I'm a dog. Ugh." He grumbles.

I lost it, I couldn't hold back my laughter. I cover my mouth as I laughed. It's been a while since I laughed like this, and it's all because of Inuyasha. I feel happy at this moment, and I don't know why. Inuyasha can sure brighten up an atmosphere unknowingly.

"Sorry, but just wait for a little bit, after we head back I'll give you the surprise." I reply back to him.

"Alright." Inuyasha replies back.

The two of us stay for another half an hour, and then I feel the coldness slowly getting to me. That's when I know it's time to go back, Inuyasha guides the two of us back to the village. My hand holding tightly to his arm as my other with the walking stick. He guides me to my hut as we wait for lunchtime.

"Come inside Inuyasha." I say to him as I open the door.

"What?" He asks me confused.

"Come inside, it's cold outside and besides it's going to take a while until you receive your surprise. So come on." I say gesturing him inside.

I hear him let out an exhale and feel him pass me and into the room, I close the door and I hear his kimono rustle and droplets of water splash onto my face.

"Did you just shake off the snow?" I ask him.

"Yea, it's in my genes to shake off water." He replies.

"Like a dog." I add with a grin.

"Can you not?" Inuyasha grumbles.

"Can't help it, you said it yourself and you do have dog genes. You shouldn't take it as an insult though, instead take it lightly and embrace it because it's part of you. I tell him with a honest smile.

I take off my outer outfit and I sit down at the table, I hear Inuyasha walk across the wooden floorboard and sit down beside me. I take out the wrapped bundle within my kimono, the gentle chimes of the bell fills the room.

"So that's what the sound came from." Inuyasha says.

"You knew?" I ask him.

"Well I didn't know what it was but I could hear it. It was quiet but I could hear it." He answers me.

Dog genes, I want to say it but I bit my tongue because I think I teased him enough for now.

"Impressive, just give me a few minutes." I say to him.

I grab a pair of scissors on the table and I unravel the arm length of ribbon. I fold it up and cut off a long piece, leaving a few centimetres length left.

"Are you making something?" Inuyasha asks me slightly intrigued.

"Yes I am." I answer him with a smile.

"You can make things?" He asks me surprised.

"I can, my father taught me how to make things, simple things like jewelry. Since I don't have much with me right now I can only make something simple." I say to him.

"You can make things and draw, you sure know a lot." He says.

"It's not much, there are a lot of things that I can't do, but I suppose I'm satisfied with the things that I can." I answer him back.

I then return to making. I can hear Inuyasha's breathing next to me as I work. I twist the long length of the cut ribbon so that it becomes thinner and has more of a shape, I then use the pair of scissors to open up the small metal rings. I take one of the bells and I feel for the small knob at the top, it took a few seconds but I managed to get the ring through the hoop in the knob and then use the scissors to close the ring together around the knob. I then take the twisted ribbon and once again, took me a few seconds but I got the tip of the twisted thinned ribbon through the metal ring and I pull it through until it's equally through. I then hold it up, the bell chimes as it moves. I then turn to Inuyasha and hold it up for him.

"What is this?" He asks me confused.

"It's a necklace." I say to him.

"A necklace?" He repeats.

"I know it looks like a pretty low grade necklace but it's what I got." I say with a shrug.

"This, is the surprise?" He continues.

"Yes it is." I answer him back.

"And why are you giving me this?" He asks me slightly disappointed and confused.

"Because I want it to be a leash." I say with a chuckle.

"Ugh, stop. Seriously why are you giving me this?" He groans.

I inhale and lower my hands down, I lower my eyes slightly as well.

"Well since you go out a lot and I have no idea when you come back or if you're nearby, by giving this to you I can hear where you are due to the chimes of the bell. It's just a heads up for me." I tell him.

"So basically you are keeping me on a leash." He adds.

"If you think it that way then sure, but I don't want to look at it that way. You see there's another reason as to why I'm making this. Sango has told me about this necklace that you had around your neck for years, and when Kagome passed away she removed it from your neck. It was a necklace that was meant to keep you in check and controlled and then disciplined you physically when you caused mischief or being rude and such, although it controlled you but Sango told me that you asked for it once. Why would you ask for something that has hurt you?" I ask him.

There's a brief silence, the atmosphere feels dull suddenly but it's necessary for me to know if I want to help him move on and understand him more.

"I don't know, I suppose I was just use to having it around my neck. I thought that by wearing it again, it would allow me to feel that Kagome is still here, and that I'm with her because that's all I have that is a symbolic object between us." Inuyasha says slightly distressed.

Guess Sango was right, he wanted to feel that she's still here and that his place is right next to her.

"You want to know where you belong and something to help you hold on to the past, but Inuyasha, I want to tell you that, you belong everywhere in this world, not just next to Kagome. I'm sure that Kagome doesn't want to see you like this still lingering onto the past. Sango told me that she removed the necklace from your neck because she wants you to be free, she wants you to move on." I say to him softly.

"I know, but it's difficult. At this point I sometimes wonder where I actually belong, eventually, Miroku and Sango are leaving as well. Shippo is going to leave here and live his life with his own kind, I'll be alone then." He says.

I feel my chest ache for him again, he sounds lost and slightly afraid. I want to comfort him and hold him, it feels overwhelming. I want to tell him that I'll be here for him.

"That will be years away, don't think too far ahead, and don't think too much of the past either. What's important is now, the present. I'm giving you this necklace because I want to let you know that there's someone who wants to know when you're nearby, It's also for you to know that someone cares about where you are. I'm giving you this necklace also as a token of my appreciation for someone who has looked after me in the past month almost. In this month, you have become someone who I enjoy talking to and someone who I can depend on and trust to lead me to wherever I need to go as my eyes. If you decide to accept this, I don't want you to look at this as something that would burden you or chain you in anyway, it's just a gift from me to you to let you know that you are someone I enjoy being around. You have a place Inuyasha, it's wherever you go, but I also hope that you'll know that this place is your home, and your family are here. You don't need to think about your purpose and place, you're here and now and that's all that matters." I say to him softly.

Inuyasha doesn't say anything I can hear him breathing in a rhythmic pace.

"Go ahead and put it on." He finally says.

I open my eyes in surprise slightly, so he's accepting it?

"You're accepting it?" I ask him.

"It's going to look stupid, but you made it with intentions and it's a gift for me…so I'll accept it." He says clearing his throat.

I smile and nod, I then raise my hands up and I lean closer to Inuyasha. I can feel his presence up close, his warmth radiating off of his body. I can feel his breathing next to my cheek as I move my hands behind his neck, his long hair brushing against my skin tickles. The bell rings gently from the movement, I can hear light whooshes above, and faint flapping. I think he's twitching his ears due to the bell. I find my other fingers behind his neck and I tie the ribbon together behind his neck and finally into a knot. Inuyasha's breathing feels so calm and relax next to me, it's warm and soothing. It sends light goosebumps through my body due to the proximity, I feel my heart thumping. I then back up and smile.

"I don't know how it looks but hopefully it isn't too bad." I say.

I hear the bell chime and echos through the room, he must of flicked it to create a sound that loud. The bell only releases faint chimes with light movements such as walking but it can be loud if you flick it or hit it intentionally.

"I suppose it's alright. If I wear this you need to wear one too so I won't be the only one." Inuyasha says with a huff.

"Alright, if it will make you feel better." I say with a chuckle.

Luckily I bought another bell, I use the scissors and open up the metal ring and close it around the knob on the bell and then put the ribbon through the ring. I then hold it out, I then realized how short the ribbon is, it won't go around my neck.

"I don't think it's long enough for my neck." I say frowning.

"Looks like it, but at least it should go around your wrist, here." Inuyasha says taking the charm from my hand.

He then uses his other hand to take mine, I feel his big warm hand around mine and his long finger nails gliding along my skin. How soothing. He flips my hand over and slide my kimono sleeve up slightly. He then ties the ribbon around my wrist and ties a knot, the bell rings gently from the movements. I can't help but focus on his fingers touching my skin as he moves, it's warm where his grip his. I feel my heart beating fast. Why am I feeling this way? I know that I wanted to help him that I made this gift, but why do I feel this way when he placed the bracelet on my wrist? I begin to think about things, why do I want to help him so much? Why do I want to hear him laugh? And why does my heart ache for him when he's sad? So many thoughts are going through my mind that I feel lost in emptiness, why do I smile when I tease Inuyasha and why do I want to talk to him? Since when did he became someone special to me? Why do I wish to see him smile, and why do I feel happy when I'm with him? His warmth is so evident whenever he's nearby since that day that he carried me on his back, then we he leaves, the cold winter air dawns on me. Why does it seem like everything revolves around him? Why is my heart pounding just from his slight touch on my skin? I furrow my brows as I'm lost in the endless questions in my head.

"Done, say it doesn't look half bad." Inuyasha's voice says in a light tone.

Inuyasha's voice, it cuts through my thoughts like a knife bringing back my senses. I then feel him flick the bell on my wrist and the heavenly sound of the chime echos through the room, I lift my eyes slightly. Although I can't see, but after hearing that bell chime and Inuyasha's voice bringing me back to reality, everything all of a sudden becomes so clear and full of colors.


	11. The Eyes Are Concealed With Lies

Everything seem to resolve all of a sudden, all these feelings that I'm feeling when I'm with Inuyasha... I'm happy when he sounds happy, and I'm sad when he's sad. My heart drops when I figure out my feelings, I'm in love with Inuyasha. I can't help but show a smile after finally realizing my feelings, I feel a light cloud that has been blocking my vision has dispersed and allowed me to see clearly of my own feelings towards Inuyasha now. I feel happy, but then somethings starts to bother me. I can feel my smile becoming subtle. Somehow it doesn't feel right. Inuyasha has just lost Kagome, and he's in the process of moving on from her. If I told Inuyasha my feelings, it wouldn't feel right, I would be burdening him with another emotional crisis. I feel like I'm in an emotional crisis of my own now, I'll have to keep my feelings hidden deep down in my heart and focus on helping Inuyasha move on from his past, I don't know how long I can hold my feelings in but hopefully I can manage till I leave here when Winter ends. But now that I know my feelings for Inuyasha, how can I try to help myself from moving on?

"Hello? Earth to_? Did you fall asleep?" Inuyasha's voice echos in my ears.

I then hear the chimes of the bell right after, Inuyasha is ringing it. I blink and I try to find my senses again, I can feel my eyes moving around but I can't see. I show a small smile after regaining my composure.

"I'm alright, well if you say it looks good then I suppose it really looks alright then. Thanks Inuyasha and I'm happy that you've accepted it." I say to him.

"Hmm, after just now, I feel that I'll be using the bell to get you to wake up every now and then from your daydreaming." Inuyasha says with a slight chuckle.

He just chuckled, it lightened my heart hearing him. It's true when they say that you are sad when the one you love is sad and you are happy when the one you love is happy. You laugh when they laugh and you cry when they cry.

"Well, the original purpose was to let me know or you know when the other is nearby, but if you want to use it to get someone back to reality then please go ahead." I say with a chuckle.

"Maybe I'll use only on you." Inuyasha replies blowing a raspberry.

Perhaps, I think he'll be using it more than he would think to bring me back to reality from losing myself in my feelings for him. I smile at his childishness, I wonder if I can force myself to move on from that precious side of him. It pains me to think that I'll be leaving here and him eventually, I can feel slight wetness in my eyes. My nose becomes slightly congested and I inhale through my mouth.

"Are you crying?" Inuyasha asks me suddenly.

Oh no, he noticed. I open my eyes wide to try and bring the tears back and I shake my head. I show him a smile.

"No, the coldness just caused my nose to dry up to the point that it hurts and cause my eyes to water." I say coming up with an excuse quickly.

"Hmm, well when I have a cold my nose dries up, otherwise it's always damp." Inuyasha says with a deep sigh.

I feel my smile becoming slightly bigger after hearing that, is he trying to make me feel better somehow? Regardless after hearing it I feel better. I'll miss his voice when I leave.

"How cute, I'll let you go now Inuyasha, I'll see you later at lunch." I say to him.

"You kicking me out because you want to take a nap?" Inuyasha asks with a teasing tone.

"Well I was thinking that you might want to take some time away from me until lunch time, but now that you mentioned about napping I think I'll take a nap." I say with a chuckle.

"You seem more like a dog than I am, you take a lot of naps." He says.

"Although I can't see but my eyes do need rests once in a while." I reply back sticking out tongue.

I feel him get up with a grunt, the bell ringing gently as he moves.

"Fine, I'll let you sleep, see you in a bit." Inuyasha says and starts walking towards the direction of the door.

Each step allowing the bell to release gentle chimes as he walks closer to the door, I then hear the door opening and the winter air comes in slightly. He's leaving, and I feel like I'm pushing him out of here when I was the one who invited him in the first place. I feel that I'm trying to deny my feelings and slowly force myself to let him go before it's too late. I move my arm slightly and I then hear my bell ringing, I feel like I'm starting to regret making the necklace.

"Inuyasha." I call out his name before he exits out of the door.

"What?" He replies.

"The necklace, since it's a bell it will be ringing when you move, so at night, don't forget to remove it, or whenever you don't want to wear it." I tell him.

Inuyasha doesn't say anything for a second or two, so I wait.

"You made this for me and you're saying that you don't mind if I just take it off and put it somewhere whenever I want?" He asks me slightly curious.

"I don't mind at all, like I said, I don't want it to bind you anyhow and especially not to me. Like I said, it's just to let me know when you are nearby. At nighttime, you won't be needing it so you can take it off. Also, when you're not beside me you can take it off because I assume that it will bother your ears after a while." I assure him with a smile.

Inuyasha doesn't reply right away, he must be thinking.

"If you insist, anyway go rest your eyes. And…thanks for the necklace." Inuyasha replies in a lighter tone.

"Ya, I'll see you in a bit." I answer him with a nod.

I hear him walk out and close the door, the Winter air stops coming in but the room feels cold after he left. I don't have to focus to listen for his footsteps because I can hear the chimes of the bell even behind the close door, it goes on for a few seconds and then it fades away. I finally let my breath go, I shake my right wrist slightly and then my bell sounds. I exhale deeply. Will I be able to tell my feelings to Inuyasha, will I ever be able to? Will I find the time to tell him before I leave? If I'm able to, I'll feel like I'll be taking advantage of his vulnerability. And if he by a miracle, accepts my feelings and returns it, will it be sincere and true between us? I close my eyes and I feel my chest ache again, I love him but I feel that if I told him I will be suffocating him. I want to love him, but I can't be selfish. I let a single tear come down my face and I wipe the rest away. A month eventually goes by, and eventually enters into the middle of the second month. The snow has stopped falling but it isn't melting. I have locked away my feelings or try my best to lock away my feelings for Inuyasha. When we are together I try my best to make the moment as normal as it can be so that it will just be like before, before I realized my feelings for him. It's hard, but I try, I suppose it's a bit easier because I can't see his face. I feel that if I saw his amber eyes in front of me, I won't be able to contain my feelings. I eventually created another mask to hide my feelings that could give me happiness, it's ironic, how I'm helping Inuyasha to open up his past and inner most feelings so that he can move on, when I can't even tell someone that I love them because I'm afraid of burdening them. I haven't been sleeping well at night in the past two weeks or so because my endless cycle of tiring thoughts, If I have dark circles, I hope they aren't too visible. Although it's been rough but the good thing was, I knew whenever Inuyasha was nearby since I gave him that necklace. The heavenly chime of the bell rings through the openness when he's near, and same goes for the bracelet on my wrist. Knowing that he wears it every single day makes me happy, I hope it mean that he treasures it.

"Where are you planning on taking me today?" I ask him.

The second month is almost over at this point, the two of us are starting off our day. I have my art supplies with me, well Inuyasha is carrying all of them. My other hand is holding onto Inuyasha's arm like always, his warmth is so evident next to me. The snow has started to harden a little at this point, but the snow has stopped falling which is nice for a change.

"I'm taking you to a flower field just outside of the village, although there's no flower right now but it's a nice place to go to when you want to rest somewhere close to the village." Inuyasha answers me.

"How come you never took me there in the past month before? Always making me walk far to the cliffside?" I ask him with a pout.

"Hey, I needed my daily walk and you said you wouldn't mind following me around." Inuyasha fires back.

I smile at his response, it's true, I did say that before. I really don't mind going anywhere as long as I'm with Inuyasha. We finally arrive at the big field that Inuyasha said, well at least that's what he said when we arrived. He guides me to the middle of the field I assume, I then feel him plop down onto the snow, my hand slipped away from his arm. I hear him groan with what I assume a stretch.

"The air feels so clear and light." I hear him say.

"It sure is." I say sitting down beside him.

I can feel the winter snow beneath me but my kimono and outer layer is preventing it from causing my skin to freeze, I take the art supplies beside Inuyasha and I take out my charcoal stick and paper. I put it on my lap and I lift my head up.

"What are you drawing?" Inuyasha asks me.

"I still haven't thought up of anything yet." I answer back.

"Well, try drawing yourself." Inuyasha adds.

Drawing myself, I lower my head and I glide my hand along the smooth paper.

"I can't draw myself." I reply quietly.

"You can't draw yourself? I find that hard to believe. You can draw landscapes and other people but you can't draw yourself? Now why is that?" Inuyasha asks me with a tone of curiosity.

"I wish I knew, I know it's my face but I can't seem to draw myself no matter how much I try. Then again, when we look at others, we can see them perfectly and accurately. The only person that we can't see clearly are ourselves, in this era besides the clear water and well made mirrors we barely can see what we look like. Besides, I haven't seen what I look like in years. Perhaps…that's the reason why." I answer as my eyes wonder around aimlessly again.

Inuyasha doesn't say anything but I hear him breathing, I clear my throat and smile.

"It doesn't matter anyway, drawing myself isn't important. I can't see so even if I keep it it would be pointless." I say quietly clearing my throat.

"Well how about trying it now, and see how it will turn out." Inuyasha suggests all of a sudden.

I lift my head at his words, I just can't draw myself because he wants me to.

"How?" I ask him.

"Here, turn your face towards me." He says.

"Like this?" I ask him turning my head towards him.

"I'll touch your facial structures and I'll describe what you look like. Just like how you draw other people." He says.

I feel my chest becoming light as he said that, he's willing to help me draw myself. I subtly smile and nod as I can't seem to say anything. I then feel his hand on each side of my face, his warm hands caress my face in a slight roughly manner, but I can't blame him since it's his personality. Hs fingers and sharp nails glides along the skin on my face, he traces my jawline, my nose, and he feels my eyes and forehead. He then proceed to describe what I look like, the size of my eyes, nose, height of my nose bridge and everything. I feel my hand moving the charcoal stick across the paper and drawing out shapes and shading here and there, as I listen to his words I can almost visualize what I look like in great details. I have felt my own face before but it was only broad and general, the basic. But Inuyasha, he described everything that he saw. He described and I drew. I know that I can't see but unlike before, I feel my eyes staying in one place. Straight ahead, straight at Inuyasha. I can feel his warm breath in front of me as he talked, how I wish that I can see those amber eyes in front of me, looking at my face and describing what he sees. Which is me. His hands caresses my face here and there as he observes, the warmth lingering on my face. I wish that his hand can continue to hold my face, but I know it's not possible. After a while I finish sketching, Inuyasha has told me everything there is. As I put the charcoal stick down, I feel his hands starting to leave my face. Without realizing it, my free hand comes up and I place it on top of his right hand. I feel his hands stop moving.

"Thanks for doing this for me. It means a lot." I say to him in a slightly dazed voice.

"Ya…well… an artist should be able to draw themselves or they shouldn't be considered an artist. I just saved you from embarrassment and disgrace." Inuyasha replies clearing his throat.

I smile and I look down, I found my senses again. I let his hand go, because I know it's not right.

"Thanks for saving me from that disgrace, how did it turn out?" I ask him.

I hear the paper rustle as he takes it, there's a brief moment of silence.

"I think my description was on point, it looks just like you." Inuyasha replies with a huff.

I smile, Inuyasha is pretty straightforward with his thoughts so if he says that it looks like me, then I accomplished something that I couldn't do in years. I couldn't do it before, until today, and it's all thanks to Inuyasha. I feel my feelings overwhelming slightly inside my chest.

"Inuyasha?" I say his name.

"Ya?" He answers back.

"If you don't mind me asking, and if it feels uncomfortable for you, you don't have to answer. But, since opening up your inner most feelings to me about your past, have you ever considered of placing those remaining love for Kagome into someone else?" Finally asking him the big question.

I hear Inuyasha gasp slightly, very quietly I have to strain my ears to hear. At the same time, I can hear a faint chime from the bell necklace. He must have shifted his neck slightly to cause a chime like that. I hold my breath as I wait.

"No, I haven't considered anything like that. I'm working on moving on from Kagome, but I don't think I'll shift my love for her onto someone else that easily. Besides, I have closed myself off from loving anyone else. It's been like that for quite a while now." Inuyasha goes on to explain.

I feel my chest ache, I won't stand a chance then. Inuyasha has shut himself away from loving someone because he wants to keep his remaining love solely for Kagome.

"I see. It's good to hear that you are trying to move on from the past, but you should never forget the love for the one that is dearest to you. You tend to shut away something that has hurt you, and in this situation was love. I just hope that in time you can learn to love again." I say returning to my dazed tone as I feel myself getting lost in my feelings.

Inuyasha doesn't respond, the quietness pulling me deeper into my feelings. Suddenly I feel my wrist move and the chiming of the bell rings through the field, I blink and I come back to my senses.

"You started daydreaming again. As for what you said… Time can only tell, maybe one day I can learn to love again. Or maybe I can't. Now, do some more sketches." Inuyasha says bringing me back to reality.

"And what are you going to do?" I ask him in return.

"I don't know, sit here, look at the scenery or something. You don't have to worry about me, you do your own stuff and I'll do mine." He replies with a yawn.

"Alright." I answer him with a smile.

I then turn towards the front again, and away from him. I grab another paper and I start drawing, I hear Inuyasha's kimono rustling next to me and the gentle chimes of the bell. The two of us just sat in the field for minutes as we both do our own things, the charcoal glides on the paper and and it fills my ears. Although I'm drawing, my mind is occupied by endless thoughts. To be honest I don't even know what I'm drawing, probably scribbles or something. Inuyasha has shut his heart off from the world and only kept a part of it on for Kagome, he is preventing himself from loving anyone else. Thinking of that pains me, my feelings for him has reached a dead end and I can't find a way to release it to the open. I only have a month and a half left almost, I have helped Inuyasha start to slowly move on from Kagome, but I don't think I'll be able to unlock his heart and help him to love again before I leave. I feel my hands slowly stop moving, I close my eyes hoping to stop the thoughts. I then feel something land on my right shoulder, a ring of the bell accompanies it. I open my eyes in surprise, it feels pretty heavy. I then feel silk like strands landing on my arm that isn't covered by my kimono sleeve, a few strands tickles my cheek. I then feel something fluffy twitching next to my ear from the gentle swooshes of the air. I hear snoring, could it be? Inuyasha fell asleep. He must have fallen asleep from the quietness and not doing anything, I can hear his rhythmic breathing and his shoulder grazing against my arm going up and down. I smile knowing that he's at peace right now, without knowing, my left hand comes up and gently touches his right cheek. His flawless smooth skin glides along my fingertips, I feel his dog ear twitching again. I then dare to rest my palm gently against his cheek, the gentle warmth of his face is cupped within the palm of my hand. How I wish I can treasure this warmth, I feel a single tear come down my face.

"How I wish you could see that there is someone else in this world that loves you besides Kagome. If only you can see my true feelings hidden behind my concealed eyes that wishes so deeply to see your amber ones." I say in my mind.

I take a deep breath and I reluctantly take my hand off of his face, the warmth leaving immediately. I then lower my hand back onto the paper. Inuyasha is still snoring away.

"But I will abandon that wish of mine, because I know, by the time that I leave, your heart will still be locked away and will only beat for Kagome." I think in my mind.

Inuyasha's ears twitches again, but he doesn't stir. Although I feel Inuyasha sleeping next to me with his head on my shoulder, and his warmth evident. But I feel the Winter air overpowering that warmth at this moment, and it's seeping into the cracks of my heart. They say that the eye tells the truth, but I'll be concealing mine with lies. Lies to hide my true feelings just beneath my irises.


	12. A Chance At A Possible Happiness

Another week goes by and the second month is basically over, Inuyasha has been going out with Miroku for their exorcism job lately so I barely get to spend time with him. But since I made him that bell necklace, I always know when he's back. I feel happy when I know he's back because I get to hear his voice, but when he's out I feel dull. During the week since I haven't seen him much, I feel my feelings for him are well under control. If it's like this for another month, I think I'll be able to move on. Inuyasha and I continue to banter, I feel cheerful when I argue with him because I get to hear his voice filled with energy. I treasure his voice because it is my happiness. The snow has started again but the amount is light, I can only feel a few feather light touches once in a while. The heavenly chimes of the bells from my bracelet and Inuyasha's necklace adds such a whimsical feeling to the atmosphere. I'm out with Shippo today because I assume Inuyasha is busy with Miroku, I woke up late because I haven't been sleeping well. I missed Miroku and Inuyasha because I came late for breakfast. Guess I won't be seeing Inuyasha till night time.

"Inuyasha sure is busy lately isn't he?" I say to Shippo.

"Ya, but it's good to see that Inuyasha is becoming more livelier." Shippo responds back.

"Really? You think so? If so then I suppose he is slowly turning back to his old self." I reply with a smile.

"I think so too, Inuyasha use to go out with Miroku on exorcisms, but since then, he has distanced himself from us all. So Miroku went on exorcism jobs by himself for a while. Now to see that Inuyasha is going out again is nice. Too bad he doesn't get to spend more time with you lately and instead you're stuck with me." Shippo says.

"Don't be ridiculous, I like spending time with you Shippo. I'm like a box, I help Inuyasha with his feelings, which are mostly on the negative side. I have to release it or else I would have a mental breakdown myself. So talking to you helps me become cheerful due to your own liveliness and cheerfulness. So Thanks Shippo." I say giving his hair a ruffle with a smile.

"If I can brighten up your mood than you can come find me anytime." Shippo responds.

I nod with a smile. I take a deep breath, the cold winter air makes me crinkle my nose.

"Is everything alright?" Shippo asks me suddenly.

"Uh? Ya I'm fine." I say quickly.

"Really? Because your facial expression tells me that you have something on your mind. Not to mention you have dark circles, they seem pretty dark lately." Shippo says pointing out.

I touch the area below my eyes on instinct, I let out a mental sigh. Guess it's pretty visible. But I don't think I need to tell Shippo about my feelings for Inuyasha, I'll just be dragging someone else into my emotional turmoil.

"It's really nothing, I've just been having a few days of insomnia, I should be alright soon." I assure him.

"Alright, I hope you'll be able to get a good night's rest tonight." Shippo says rubbing my arm to comfort me.

"Thanks Shippo, I hope so too." I nod.

The two of us walked around the village and to the outside plains near the village. The hours goes by, I assume the afternoon has became evening now. Shippo has gave up today to be with his fellow fox demons just to stick with me, which I found a bit funny. Shippo guides me back to the big hut at dinner, the bell on my wrist rings as I lift the curtains.

"Shippo, _." I hear Miroku's voice clear and rich.

'Welcome back Miroku." I greet him with a bow.

I don't hear the other chimes of the bell. Inuyasha's.

"Is Inuyasha not back?" I ask.

"Inuyasha is out by himself right now, he told us that he'll be skipping dinner tonight." Sango replies.

"Him? Skipping dinner? That's a first." I reply with a chuckle.

But I let it slide, he's probably pretty tired from going out lately, besides it's pretty late guess he ate something before coming back here and went to the cliffside or the field. So only the four of us have dinner together, as I'm eating I begin to wonder if I should go check on Inuyasha and see if he's ok.

"Does Inuyasha usually go to the cliffside in situations like this or does he go home?" I ask them after dinner.

I hear them clear their throats, and "hum" slightly. It feels like they're hiding something.

"We're not sure since he doesn't tell us, but I assume he would go to the cliffside. He rarely stays at his hut, only on special occasions." Miroku replies.

I can hear slight hesitation in his voice, I let it go though. After helping cleaning up, Shippo walks me back to my hut, but I feel like I should go see if Inuyasha's alright.

"Hey Shippo." I say to him.

"Yes?" His perky voice replies.

"Can you take me to Inuyasha's place, I want to check up on him." I say to him.

"I don't know if we should, Inuyasha might be very tired." Shippo says.

I then suddenly hear a smack, I start to become curious. I grab onto his small arm more tightly.

"Well if he's really tired then that's a problem, he's a demon, he's not suppose to be feeling overly tired should they? Take me to his place I want to see if he's there." I say to him.

I hear Shippo let out a sigh like he has been caught with something, but he complied. He guides me to Inuyasha's place, after a while we finally arrive.

"Get some rest_, Inuyasha might not even be here." Shippo says trying to divert me.

But I smile.

"Don't worry, I'll know if he's here or not. You can go rest Shippo, thank you for taking me here. Goodnight." I say to Shippo.

I hear Shippo let out a quiet sigh, he then holds my hand.

"Alright, be careful on your way back." He says.

"I'll be fine, I know my way back to the hut the snow is slowly starting to melt . If I can find my way back to the hut I'll be able to go home." I assure him.

After bidding Shippo goodnight I turn towards the door, I'll know if he's here or not. I go up to the door, I take a deep breath and I knock. I'll take the chance. After my knuckles hit the door twice, I can hear chimes of a bell. I was right, he is here.

"Inuyasha are you alright?" I ask through the door.

"_?" His voice responds from the other side.

"I came to check on you, can I come in?" I ask again.

There's a moment of silence, but then I hear heavy footsteps and then the door opens. I can feel his presence in front of me.

"Miroku and the others told me that you are tired, maybe overly tired. I thought it was a bit weird for a demon so I came to check on you." I say to him.

"Nothing's wrong, I'm fine." He says.

I use my walking stick and I tap the wooden floorboard and step inside, the room feels cold, does he not need fire? I hold tightly to the blanket covering my back. My wooden walking stick taps on the ground as I head to the middle of the room. I hear him close the door and walking to the middle of the room as well, the chimes of the bell fills the room from both of us.

"Shouldn't you be resting yourself?" Inuyasha asks me.

"I know, but I was worried so I came here to check on you. Shouldn't you at least be a bit thankful?" I ask him teasingly.

'"Well no one asked you too." Inuyasha replies with a grumble.

"I suppose that's true, but I suppose we are both responsible for each other a little at this point? Don't you think?" I ask him.

"I suppose, but since you know I'm alright you can go rest." Inuyasha says clearing his throat.

"Gee so eager to get me out of here, I haven't seen you all day and it felt dull." I say with a chuckle.

I reach out and go to ruffle his hair, since he isn't so far away from me. Something feels off. His hair feels thinner than usual, I move my hand to the side slightly, his dog ears are gone. I widen my eyes in surprise.

"Hey!" I hear Inuyasha say slightly caught of guard.

He grabs my wrist, but then I feel the coldness. His hands aren't warm like how they usually are. I let go of my walking stick and I take his hand in my free one. Indeed, they are cold. Why? I take my other hand off of his head and I slip my wrist out of his grasp and hold his hands in mine.

"Why are you hands cold? What happened to your dog ears?" I ask him concerned.

"It's nothing important." Inuyasha replies slightly baffled.

"How can you say it's nothing? Your hands are freezing cold, you could get hypothermia. Why didn't you light a fire or something?' I ask him.

I unconsciously rub his hands between mine in an effort to try and warm them up, I furrow my brows in worry. I take the blanket covering my body and I cover him with it, I tie a knot from the two edges of the blanket in front of him. I don't understand.

"What happened to you?" I ask him again.

"It's nothing, besides it's nothing that should concern you, it's my business." Inuyasha replies.

"Yes, but can't a friend worry about you? Can't you tell me? Perhaps I can find a way to help you." I say.

"You can't help me." He responds back with a low gruff.

"Then can you at least tell me why you are like this? At least allow me to understand or else I'll be concerned. You have told me many things already that you have kept hidden inside, you can tell me this too. I'll keep it a secret if you want it to be kept hidden. You can trust me." I say with a pleading tone.

I hear Inuyasha let out a sigh.

"Fine, I suppose I can tell you since I told you so much about myself already." Inuyasha responds.

"Thanks." I nod.

"Today just happened to be the New Moon of each month." He begins.

"New Moon? Does that have to do with all this?" I ask him.

'Ya, half demons have a day or a few days that they become humans, and mine is on the day of the New Moon of each month. Which happens to be today, I lost my dog ears and my hair is black, my amber eyes and long nails are gone as well. All of my demon attributes are gone." He explains.

So that's why. I nod my head in understanding. That's right, if I can recall, Inuyasha is half demon, not a full demon. So today is when he becomes a human, the day that he is weak.

"How long does it last for you?" I ask.

"Just for tonight, I'll be back to normal tomorrow." He responds back with a grumble.

"That's good, luckily it's only for today. Why are you here by yourself? Why didn't you join us for dinner tonight? And instead stayed here all by yourself in this cold room?" I ask him.

"Because tonight I'm the weakest, so I want to be isolated in a place where I'll feel safe. So that no one can hurt me. Also, I didn't feel like getting up and setting a fire." He responds with a sigh.

I feel my chest ache for him, he hid away from the world because he wants to feel safe. He is at his weakest tonight, but he's not with the others, he's not counting on Miroku and the others for support. This stubborn dog, correction, person. I now understood why Miroku and the others sound hesitant earlier, they wanted to protect Inuyasha from me finding out his secret and weakness. They didn't trust me enough to tell me his secret, but I don't mind because they are his friends and true friends will protect you no matter what. I give him a smile.

"Why didn't you ask the others to be with you on nights like these? They are your friends." I ask him.

"Because I don't want them to see me like this, especially after Kagome's passing. I shut myself away from the world because I realized that I had more weaknesses than I thought. By exposing them will eventually hurt me and the people around me." Inuyasha goes on to explain.

So in the end it goes back to Kagome, he became more weak after she left. I want to assure him that the world isn't all bad. I shake my head in disagreement.

"True friends are there to help you through your most toughest times, you have to reply on them, or you can possible one day lose them. Also, everyone has weaknesses, its what makes us living beings both humans and demons alike. Don't think that hiding your weaknesses will keep you from being hurt, it won't. When it comes to difficult times, it's rare for only one person to get out of such situations. Tell the people you trust and who really wants to help you and protect you, that way they can all come together to help you through those hard times. Miroku and Sango doesn't have much time left, treat them like how you treated them when they were in their youths, because they can still support you and protect you no matter how old they are. Life is full of ups and downs, but you shouldn't let the downs keep you chained to the ground, a rope is always there for you Inuyasha, all you need to do is outstretch your hand into the darkness and find it. The people dearest to you will be waiting to pull you up." I say to him with a slight serious tone.

He doesn't respond, but I can here him breathing. The bell ringing gently from his subtle movements. I show him a smile and my eyes starts travelling around, I wish I told him my feelings. But I decided against it.

"I better let you rest then, try to find a way to keep yourself warm Inuyasha. Also, I'm glad to hear from Shippo that you use to go out with Miroku on exorcism jobs in the past, so knowing that you are again makes me happy. I hope that you will continue to go out and see the world because there's a lot of beauty out in the open. I'll see you in the morning." I say to him softly.

I don't wait for his reply, I begin to find the door. My walking stick clacks on the wooden floorboard, the rings of my bracelet fills the room. I find the door and I open it up, I don't have the blanket anymore so I'll have to endure the cold snow on the way back, but I know that Inuyasha needs it more than I do. I hear the chimes of the other bell from behind me, I smile knowing that he kept it on. I close the door behind and I head back home. I sigh as the harden snow crunches below my feet, the snow has stopped coming down. After that day, Inuyasha is back to his demonic self. He got his ears back and his rough thick hair that feels like a dog's fur. The two of us would go around places nearby the village when he isn't out with Miroku, I want to treasure all the moment I have left with Inuyasha. Because, there is only about 2 more weeks left until Winter is over, I can feel the snow losing its height, it use to be up to my ankle, but now it just surpass my sandals. For some reason, I feel my chest ache every now and then, it's always when I'm thinking about Inuyasha, I'll be leaving here soon. I don't want to leave but I know I've stayed long enough for me to go out and explore all the places that I haven't seen. I don't want to leave Inuyasha, I feel that my feelings my overwhelm me if I don't tell him before I leave. I wonder when I can tell him. We are all eating dinner together, a few days after since that day, the snow is almost gone but the weather is still cold.

"Sango, Shippo,_, I'm just letting you all know that Inuyasha and I are going to go on a two day travel to a village, they want us to do an exorcism there due to a demon attack." Miroku says.

"Ah I see, we understand. I suppose you'll be leaving early in the morning?" Sango says.

"Yea, it will be a long travel so we'll have to get up early." Inuyasha replies with a stretch.

"Then we better all get some rest." Sango says.

We finish dinner and we bid each other goodnight. Inuyasha guides me back to my place as usual, with my hand around his arm. I can feel the warmth of his body again. A walking stick in my other as the bells on our wrist and neck rings. Inuyasha will be gone for 2 days, I won't be seeing him for 4 days or even more. By the time he comes back, I'll be gone. I might be gone when he returns. At this moment I feel my feelings taking over me, I have held it in long enough, I feel that if I don't say it now, it will destroy me and I will leave with regrets. I bite my lower lip, I then feel Inuyasha stop at the same time.

"We're here. Now get some sleep, your dark circles are pretty evident." Inuyasha says.

This is it, it's now or never. I'll take the chance. I let his arm go and I turn to face him.

"Hey Inuyasha." I say his name.

My eyes wondering around aimlessly but how I wish they could stop and focus on one thing, Inuyasha.

"What?" He responds.

"Do you think you'll be able to learn to open up your heart if you found out that there's someone in this world that loves you?" I ask him.

Inuyasha doesn't say anything, so I wait. The heavenly chime of the bell around his neck rings at his sudden movement, I hold my breath as I wait. Unlike before, it feels like an eternity this time.


	13. A Deafening Departure

"What do you mean?" Inuyasha asks me slightly confused.

"What would you do, and how would you feel if I told you that there's someone in this world that loves you?" I ask him again.

"I don't know." He replies in a quiet tone.

"To tell you the truth, I've been in love with you for quite a while now Inuyasha." I finally tell him.

I feel my heart beating faster as I said that, but I finally got it out and to the person that my feelings are meant for. I hear Inuyasha let out a quiet gasp.

"What?" Inuyasha says with slight disbelief in his voice.

"I know it's a bit sudden and perhaps a bit much for you to handle, but I don't think I can hold back my feelings anymore. I love you Inuyasha, I love you so much to the point that it pains me to tell you this. Because I know that your heart still belongs to Kagome, by telling you this I know I'm being selfish because I'm giving you this burden of my feelings when you are still in the process of moving on." I go on to explain.

"Then why tell me?" Inuyasha asks me with a low voice.

"Because I want to tell someone one of my inner most feelings for a change, my love for you Inuyasha. Now that I've told you, can you answer my question from earlier? Knowing that there's someone out there who loves you for you, what would you do? Would you learn to open up your heart again?" I ask him one more time.

Inuyasha doesn't say anything, so I wait like I always have.

"I don't think I'll be doing anything, my heart s still closed off to love. I don't know when it will open up again and I don't know if I want it to." He finally says.

I feel my heart drop, but I don't want to give up. He's stubborn, so I'll be just as persistent.

"I can wait." I tell him confidently.

"What?" He asks me surprised and slightly shocked.

"If you say that one day that you can learn to open up your heart again, I'll wait. I'll wait till that day. I want to help you overcome it no matter how long it will take." I tell him.

"Why would you do that? My heart has been shut off for years, I don't think it will open to anyone ever again." He answers back.

Although he says that, but I can hear in his voice that he's hesitant and he sounds worried about something.

"Remember what I said Inuyasha? Anything that you don't want to do, no one can force you. I'm not asking you to say that you love me or anyone, I know your heart is closed off. I told you my feelings because I can't suppress them anymore. What I want to know is, now that you know that there's someone that loves you, will you learn to find the key to unlock your heart and learn to love someone else?"

"No." He says simply.

I feel my heart stop again, devastation hits me hard from that one single word.

"Why?" I ask him dumbstruck.

"Because all love does is bring me pain. I told you, I lost Kikyo, and I lost Kagome. They were two of the women that I loved the most. I have told myself to never love anyone else again." Inuyasha explains himself.

"So it's about pain and lost again? Are you that scared of them that you won't allow you to feel one of the most precious feelings again? Winter is coming to an end in less than 2 weeks, and I'll be leaving. But if you want me to stay I'll stay. I'll swallow my feelings for you and pretend that they never existed and I'll stay by your side as someone who you can tell your heartache and thoughts too until the day you won't feel anymore pain. Will you allow me to do that Inuyasha? Will you allow me to be that person?" I ask him trying to hold my tears.

Inuyasha once again doesn't respond, but I can hear his breathing, they are slightly off rhythm.

" I don't want you to, you are going to leave in less than 2 weeks, so just go on with your life. I'll be leaving in the morning and I most likely won't be back till you leave, so throw away that thought of yours. Besides, I'm tired of telling you my feelings, to tell you the truth I never moved on from Kagome, not even a little." Inuyasha says flatly.

I feel my brows furrowing as he said that, I stumble backwards slightly.

"Are you saying that in these past 2 months or so, all of my efforts were in vain, and you found me a nuisance?" I ask him quietly.

I hear him let out a deep breath, I wish I could decipher that exhale but I find my mind clouded with the pain from my heart.

"All the bantering and moments that we had together, all of those conversations that we had, were they nothing to you?" I ask him again.

"Ya, I got sick and tired of taking you around after a while, I realized how incapable you were and how you need someone to guide you all the time or else you can't go anywhere or do anything. I sucked it up because in the end it was a job that I was given." Inuyasha answers me.

I feel like I was stabbed with a knife, and instead of bleeding, I feel congested like I can't breath.

"Do you really mean all that? If so, why tell me now?" I ask him feeling tears coming down my face.

"I'm telling you all this now because you are leaving soon and I won't be back here before you leave. Also, since we are having a heartfelt conversation here, I'm telling you how I'm feeling. So if you're going to leave, leave. Don't think you need to stick to me and try to help me, everything that you've done was pointless, I'm still the me that can't let Kagome go no matter what, and no matter how much you'll try, my heart won't open up again to anyone else." He says finishing off.

I feel my mind completely blank out, my heart has become frozen. I feel my eyes wondering around everywhere hoping to see something at this moment. But I can't and his words hits me again. Because I'm blind that I can't do things that people who can see are capable of, I can't go to some places without someone guiding me. I feel weak and useless, but his words came out way too harsh. I take a deep breath to calm myself down.

"Let me ask you this one last thing. Do you regret meeting me? Do you regret bringing me to this village that day?" I ask him.

Inuyasha doesn't respond back right away like always, I hear the bell on his neck ring gently.

"Yes, I regret meeting you and taking you to this village." He finally says.

I close my eyes upon hearing his words, my heart dropped and I feel them shatter. I told him my feelings but in return, he has hurt me with the most painful words. Although he has hurt me, I know it hurt a lot due to the reason that I love him so much, even after everything he said.

"I have never regretted meeting you Inuyasha." I say to him quietly.

Yes, I found him annoying and arrogant the first day that I met him, but I never regretted the meeting. I then hear him walk up to me, he stops in front of me. I then hear the chimes of the bell of his necklaces echoing in the openness. He then grabs my hand and flips it up, I feel him drop something into my palm, and once again the bell chimes and stop. No…

"For this stupid thing, it felt like a leash, it was suffocating. Now I can give it back to you because I won't be needing it in the days to come. If you have nothing else to say I'll be leaving." He says.

I feel him drop my hand, I close my fingers around the necklace so that it won't drop to the ground. I feel so congested and in pain, tears are coming down my face. I hear him walking away from his footsteps in the snow.

"Do you really want me to leave Inuyasha?! if you want me to stay, I'll give up everything to stay here. I have come to treasure our times together, but if you want me to leave, I'll leave." I shout after him.

I hear the footsteps stop.

"Leave, I don't want you to stay. I don't treasure the times together unlike you, so leave. Also, if you are looking for an answer to your confession I'll tell you… I don't love you back and I won't ever, so don't bothering trying to wait for me or help me anymore. Goodbye." Inuyasha says.

I then hear him walk away again, I couldn't say anything. I feel like I lost all of my senses, my sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste. Everything around me feels like they don't even exist, I don't even feel as if I exist. I drop my walking stick and it hits the snow, I collapse onto my knees and I hold the bell necklace in my palms. How did a simple question come to a conclusion like this? I hold the bell necklace in my palms tightly as I let my tears fall, I didn't sleep at all. I grabbed the cover of my futon and I just sat against a wall, Since all I see is nothing I felt like I got lost in the dark emptiness even though I'm awake. I wish I could shut off my feelings so that I don't have to feel the pain of loving someone, I eventually lost my consciousness, but my eyes are still open. I feel like I fell into an emotional coma. Eventually I hear the birds chirping and it brought my senses back slightly, morning is here. My mind feels hazy and numb, I don't want to get up and go out but I force myself to. The bracelet on my wrist rings as I move in hours, it doesn't do anything for me, I still feel like I'm lost in a haze of fake and numbness. I head to the door, I put my hand on the door and I take a deep breath. With my walking stick in my right hand, I open the door with my left and with Inuyasha's necklace tuck tightly in my kimono. The Winter air touches my face and I shiver slightly, aside from the late Winter air, I don't sense anything else, no other presence. Inuyasha's presence isn't here, knowing that he's not here makes me think back to those times when he waited for me every morning. For me, seeing him as the person who was suppose to guide me to wherever I wanted to go, has completely surpassed it. He is the person that I have come to love, but for him, in the end it was only a task that he was given. I close my eyes and shake my head, he has set off with Miroku I assume, so I won't feel his presence anymore. I step into the close to melted snow still accompanied by the cold Winter air, my walking stick moves around the ground as I remember the way to the big hut. After a while I finally arrive. I open the curtains and I can smell breakfast.

"Good morning_." Sango's voice says greeting me.

"Good morning." I respond back with a bow.

"Good morning!" I hear Shippo's energetic voice says from behind me.

It surprised me slightly but I smile upon hearing his voice, it brightens up the mood greatly. We all greet him back, the three of us sit down for breakfast. Unlike before, I don't feel like doing anything, although I'm not hungry but I force myself to eat a little it.

"_, are you alright dear? You look tired." Sango's voice says.

"Eh? I guess I didn't sleep well last night, I am feeling a bit sleepy. Also I'm not really feeling well." I say to her with a tired smile.

"Sleep is important, well if you are feeling tired now then go get some sleep after breakfast, get as much rest as you need dear." Sango says holding my hand.

"Thank you." I say to her bowing my head.

After breakfast, we all clean up then I head back to my hut. Shippo went out to spend the day with his fellow fox demons, Sango is out to do her duties. I put aside my walking stick and Iie down onto my futon, I take out the bell necklace and place it beside me. I lay on my back as I "look" up. My thoughts automatically trails off to Inuyasha.

"Was it necessary to say all those things Inuyasha? Why did you have to hurt me like that…" I ask in my mind.

I feel my heart becoming congested again, I take a deep breath and I close my eyes before my tears starts forming. I remember telling Inuyasha to listen to the quietness and to a rhythmic beat, and empty out your mind. Let go of all the thoughts that are chaining you. Such irony, because right now I can't do any of that. Although the room is quiet, but my ears are ringing. My heart is beating out of rhythm and my mind is clouded with painful thoughts, I close my eyes even tighter. Empty out your mind, empty out your mind. Eventually I fall asleep. I don't know what time it is when I come to, I must have slept for a very long time because my head feels woozy. I hit my forehead lightly a few times hoping that I can wake up, wake up from everything, but I know it's not a dream. I stand up and stretch, I guess I should see if Sango is back. I head to the big hut unaware of what time it is, after a while I finally arrive. I lift the curtains again, I can smell food again.

"Sango are you back?" I ask after entering the tent.

"Ah, _ you're up. You must have been very tired it's dinner time." Sango says with a light chuckle.

What? I slept through the afternoon and evening, my eyes widen in shock.

"Oh my, I'm so sorry." I say with a bow.

"Why are you apologizing? You were tired so getting rest is a must, get as much rest as you need." Sango says coming up and holding my hand as always.

Shippo comes in eventually and the three of us have dinner together, I try my best to put up a face so that they won't see my chaotic emotions. After dinner I head to bed again, I change into my nightwear and I sit on my futon. The quietness surrounds me, in my hands are my bracelet and the necklace that I made for Inuyasha. I made it for him hoping to help him move on from the link that connected him and the sad memories of Kagome, but in the end, it was useless. He said that it felt suffocating and in the end has caused me pain instead, I wonder if I can hold on for another week. I'll try my best to suppress my feelings, I want to spend a bit more time with Sango and Shippo before I leave. I'll hold on until I can't anymore. I decide to lock away my feelings tonight, I'll pretend that I never had them before. A day ends and the next day arrives and then the next, I distract myself with drawings. Distract myself with what I'm good at, the only thing that can make me forget about Inuyasha for a while. But the moment I put the charcoal stick down, thoughts of him comes back in an instant. I hate myself for being weak, of not getting him out of my mind. I feel suffocated myself, I feel like I'm chained here by my feelings. Another day goes by eventually a day has turned into 4, I was alright for the first 2 days but I realized that it's not going anywhere. If I want to let these feelings go, I have to leave this place. I originally wanted to wait till Inuyasha comes back and talk to him, but his words were eating away at me. I eventually realized that I also don't have the confidence to face him, if I were to go up to him again, what would I say? There's nothing left for me to say. I can't stay here anymore.

"Lady Sango, Shippo, I have something to tell you." I say to them after finishing dinner on the fifth night since I confessed to Inuyasha.

"Yes dear what is it?" Sango's kind voice answers me back.

"Winter is coming to an end, which means I should resume my original plan. I'll be leaving tomorrow." I say to them.

"Why so sudden? Winter is still not quite over yet, why don't you stay a few more days until Inuyasha and Miroku comes back, that way we can all send you off." Sango replies slightly taken aback.

I hold onto the the bell bracelet, it rings gently. I can't. I shake my head side to side.

"I'm sorry, but I don't think I'll be able to wait for Inuyasha and Miroku to come back. I have a goal that I would like to fulfill as soon as I can." I say to her.

"And what may that goal be?" She asks me.

"I would like to go to different villages and learn different styles and genre's of art, and hopefully I'll be able to find one that can make me feel even more happy and will be special to me than what I know now." I answer her with a sad smile, a lie has been told.

There's a brief silence.

"There's something on your mind isn't there?" Shippo suddenly asks me.

I gasp slightly and my eyes begin to wonder around, I feel my heart drop.

"No, not at all why do you ask?" I answer him back with a brave smile.

"Clearly your dark circles are pretty evident which are telling us that you definitely haven't been sleeping well, or even sleeping at all. Your mood seem to have dropped drastically ever since Inuyasha and Miroku left that day. You use to be cheerful and you use to smile a lot, lately your smile seems forced. Tell us what is on your mind." Shippo points out.

Shippo is pretty observant despite his childish personality. He guessed right but I don't think it'll be good to tell them.

"Really it's nothing to be worried about, thank you for the your concerns." I assure them.

My chest feels tight as I try to hold in my heartache.

"Your facial expression tells us a lot_, we want to help. You can trust us and tell us what is bothering you." Sango tells me.

"Yea, both Sango and I had noticed that something has been off for a while now but we waited for you to tell us, but now we don't think we can ignore it anymore. You've been helping Inuyasha a lot, let us help you lighten up any burdens if we can." Shippo says.

Hearing them say that, I feel my breath hitch, he's right. I told Inuyasha to open up and tell the people close to him this feelings, and yet I've become so close to them that I can't even tell them my own. I then hear a gentle chime, I come back to my senses. I reach into my kimono and take out the necklace, I realize that I was trembling a little but I take a deep breath. I then place the necklace on the table.

"Isn't that the necklace that you gave Inuyasha?" Shippo asks me.

"Yes, Inuyasha left it at my place a few days ago, so can you return it to him for me when he comes back?" I ask them with a smile.

"He should be back in a few days, why don't you wait till he comes back and give it to him personally?" Shippo points out.

"I don't think I'll be able to stay that long, the snow is starting to melt away and I should get going. I still have a lot of places to go to. So please, can you do me a favour and give this to him?" I ask them again.

There's a brief silence.

"Did you have a fallout with Inuyasha by chance? You sound like you're avoiding Inuyasha. Tell us_, did something happen between you and Inuyasha?" Sango asks me slightly concerned.

My eyes widen in surprise, I gasp slightly. I think I just gave everything away, I let out a sigh I suppose they won't let this go unless I tell them.

"Yes, Inuyasha and I had a fallout, I thought we were on good terms, but in the end Inuyasha didn't see it that way." I finally tell them.

"That's not all is there? You seemed pretty depressed as of a few days ago, even as friends, a fallout shouldn't put you in such a state, there's something more is there? You sound like someone who is in love." Sango says.

I sigh and hang my head, guess I really can't hide anything at all, she guessed everything right.

"You guessed everything right, Yes… I am in love….and the one that I'm in love with is Inuyasha." I finally confess.

"Inuyasha… you confessed to him?" Shippo says surprised.

"Yes, but it didn't end well." I tell them with a strained smile.

"What happened? What did he say? " Sango says.

"He said that he doesn't love me back, due to him not able to let Kagome go." I asked him if he could ever open up his heart again and able to love if he knew that someone else in this world loves him. He said that he will never love again and that he can't move on." I tell them.

I left out everything that he said that has hurt me and only to them the most important parts, because everything else is directed solely to me. I feel congested again and I clear my throat.

"He still can't let go, how stubborn can he be?" Shippo says with an annoyed growl.

"I thought you two were making progress, Inuyasha seemed more livelier since you came, didn't think that he's still holding on to the past, and pushed away someone who has come to love him aside from us. It's natural that feelings would bloom the more time you spend with someone. It's such a shame and regretful to here that all of your effort made no indent, I could only hope that something must have gotten to him even if it's just a little. I can't let this slip, When Inuyasha comes back, have a talk with him_, don't give up yet just because he rejected you, Inuyasha is a very passionate and affectionate person. He just needs some sense put into him forcefully. It's about time for him to wake up and see that there are love all around him. If things don't work, Miroku and I will have a long talk with him." Sango says with a sigh.

How I wish I can sit in front of him and talk with him, but I know that I can't. I have lost my confidence, I don't think I can stand him saying that he can't love another person again, I don't have the confidence to hear his voice, it will pain me too much. He said that he's still the him when he lost Kagome, and if a person doesn't have the will or desire to move on, then in the end, the efforts from others will be for nothing. I shake my head.

" I don't think I'll be able to, I don't think a talk will go anywhere. I'll be fine, I'll move on eventually, I just need some time. I'm planning on leaving tomorrow, I thank you for the hospitality and everything that you have done for me, but I believe it's time for me to go." I bow to them.

"Why don't you stay and wait a few more days, wait till Miroku and that stubborn dog to come back, we would like to send you off if you are dead set on leaving. If you are uncomfortable being around Inuyasha, filter him out, ignore his voice. Pretend that he's not there, but let us see you off." Shippo says coming over and wrapping his arms around me in a hug.

"Yes, let us send you off." Sango says with sadness in her voice.

I fall silent, how I wish that they can all be here to send me off, but I know it will be hard if they were all here. I have to leave as soon as I can, so that nothing can hold me back, so that I won't have the desire to hear Inuyasha's voice again even though I know it will pain me. But I nod, I have to lie to them then.

"Alright, I'll hold on till Miroku and Inuyasha comes back." I say to them with smile.

"Get some rest then, we'll see you in the morning." Sango says placing the bell necklace back into my hands.

"I'm going to kick some senses into that stubborn dog." Shippo grumbles.

I close my fingers around the necklace, the bell chimes gently along with my bracelet. I sigh softly, this is it. After bidding every goodnight, with my walking stick in my left hand, I head back to my own place. I close the door behind me, my footsteps and walking stick echos on the wooden floorboard. I sit down in front of the small table in the middle of the room, next to me are my art supplies. I sigh and go through my art supplies, I then realize that I only have 2 sheets of paper left. I let my fingers glide along the smooth surface. Only 2 pieces of paper left, I should use them all and hopefully get my mind distracted long enough before I leave tonight. I take out my charcoal stick and a sheet of paper, I place my free hand on the edge of the paper and I think of what I should draw. Nothing seem to come to mind though, I bite my lips in frustration, I shut my eyes my chest feels so congested but what can I do? Unknowingly, I got myself into this situation by falling in love with Inuyasha. I have no one to blame but myself, I open my eyes slowly hoping to see something, but I know it's impossible. I reach within my kimono and I take out the necklace and place it on the table. The bell rings softly as it touches the table. I start drawing, I inhale deeply. I draw out lines after lines, shapes after shapes, but eventually I stop. I'm stuck. I put down the charcoal stick next to the paper, I drew a person, and I knew who I was drawing, but I can't remember his eyes. I feel so frustrated, I hold my head in my hands. I just wasted my second last piece of paper, I only have one sheet left. I can't seem to draw anything right now, my emotions are a mess right now. I touch the last sheet of paper, I then remember. Paper aren't only meant for drawing, words can also be written on them. It's been so long since I've used paper for writing, perhaps this now is a good time for me to write again. I pick up my charcoal stick and I touch the top of the page and place my charcoal stick there, I realize just how short my charcoal stick has become. I take a deep breath and I let the charcoal stick glide across the page. My hand seem to go on without stopping.

"It's been so long since I've written, especially to someone. Although I haven't written in a while but my words seem to come out like a stream, without stopping and without hesitation. I tried to draw you Inuyasha, but I couldn't, I can't seem to remember your eyes. Probably because I only seen it once, it was brief but I was confident that I had it down in my memories after touching your face that day, but guess it wasn't the case. Or perhaps I'm forcing myself to forget you and my feelings for you so that I can leave here without holding on to anything, but I don't think I can do that. I'm writing this letter hoping that I can tell someone my deepest and most truthful feelings, my feelings are my own but I wanted to share it with someone who is dear to me, but I know it will burden you because you told me that you haven't moved on. I'll respect that because one's feelings are one's own until the other person is willing to accept them. I was hoping that I could stay by your side and have you as my "unofficial eyes" for just while longer, but looks like that wish of mine won't come true. Spring has come early it seems. I always waited for you to open up to me and I was grateful that you did, you trusted me with your pain and sadness. Though you said that it was pointless, but I was happy that I got to understand you a little even if it's was a facade. I said that I would wait and stay by your side until you could allow yourself to love again, but you told me clearly that you never will in the future. I once told you that I will never force you to tell me about your past Inuyasha, and I will never force you to love if you are not ready for it. Unfortunately, my feelings won't be able to fade easily, the only way I can put my feelings behind is to leave here. Was I selfish by telling you my feelings? If so, I'm sorry. You became my eyes when I couldn't see, you guided me to wherever I wanted to go. Because of you, I felt as if I could see the world again thanks to your eyes, because of you, I was able to draw myself. Yet, I couldn't draw the eyes that has became like my own in these few months. I suppose it's for the best. The necklace that I made you, I'm sorry that it made you felt suffocated, it wasn't my intention. I made the necklace because I wanted to give something to someone that has stayed by me in this short amount of time, also, I wanted you to know that I was never too far away if you needed someone to talk to. As long as the chimes of the bell is evident, I knew that I'll always be able to find you. Winter is coming to an end soon, and it's time for me to leave. I suppose this is goodbye Inuyasha, you lend me something that I lost years before and for that I am grateful. Since I'm leaving, I hope you won't mind me saying one more thing to you? The sun will always rise the next day Inuyasha, look forward to them with the people next to you. Then when the sun sets, don't have any regrets before you close your eyes. Don't lose the ability to wish and dream either. I'll leave the necklace here, like I said, you don't have to wear it, it's yours to do whatever you like. I won't say anymore, I'll only wish for your happiness in the future. ~_"

I place the small chunk of charcoal that's left onto the table as I finish writing the letter, I blow away the excessive charcoal dust. I take a deep breath, I feel my chest becoming lighter. I felt as if I let go of a heavy stone, I fold the paper up and I tie the necklace around the paper with a bow. I pack up everything that I have, since I have no more art supplies, I put away the straps, I don't have much, just like when I came here. I pack up the money that I have earned by drawing, I don't have anything to give to Sango, Shippo, and Miroku for their hospitality. So I could only give them a drawing, which is of the sea in Spring. After packing everything up, I pick up my walking stick and the letter. I left the incomplete drawing of Inuyasha on the table. I head outside, I close the wooden door behind me. I won't be back here anymore, I close my eyes and sigh. I've already made my decision and I'll see it through. With my walking stick in hand, I begin to head to the big hut. Because from there, I'll be able to find Inuyasha's place. The snow is melting beneath my feet at this time, the night air feels cold but luckily I dressed warm enough. I enter into the big empty hut, I place the drawing on the table. I then head out and bow to the front of the hut as respect. I then proceed to Inuyasha's place, it took me a while but I remembered the path. When I finally arrive I stop at the front entrance, my feet seem to be stuck. I can't move, but I shut my eyes and I force my legs to move forward. Why am I hesitating? He's not here. I put my hand out to find the door, and I do. The slightly rough surface glides along my palm, and I remember that day when I was with him when he was human. I was happy that I was with him in his weakest moment. I smile at the memories, but it's time to put it behind me. I kneel down and slide the letter under the door, the bell chimes softly as it hits the bottom of the door. I then stand up and face the door again, I then knock my knuckles gently against the surface, and I waited. Nothing. He's not back yet, I close my eyes and walk away. My walking stick taps on the melting snow as I head to the entrance of the village, the crickets chirp in the night accompanied by the quietness of the surrounding. Eventually I feel the gate of the entrance, indeed this is it. I told Sango in the beginning that I'll go wherever the wind will take me, and it's about time the wind blew again. Since I can't see, there's no point for me to look back. I take a deep breath and clench my free hand into a fist, Gentle chimes fills my hearing, I open my eyes in surprise, is he back? I listened and waited, and I realized, it was my bracelet. It brought me back to reality, and it's time reality guided me to my next destination. I give myself a nod and I take a step forward, out of the boundary of the village. Leaving it behind, leaving Sango, Miroku, Shippo behind, and leaving Inuyasha behind.


	14. When The Body Goes Numb

I don't know how long time has passed, but I've been walking for quite some time now. I went towards a direction that I've never headed before. I can hear the chirping of the birds becoming more and more livelier in the open field. I can feel the gentle sunlight that is shining through but the weather is still chilly, at night time it's colder since technically it is still Winter. I breathe in the fresh air the world is providing me, it's probably a good few hours now since I left the village, my heart seems a little lighter now. I wonder when I'll be able to find the next village or town, it could be days. Although that thought crosses my mind but it doesn't discourage me. I am far from the village now, and I feel like I left behind all of my pent up feelings there as well. Since I don't have any paper or charcoal left, I can't draw anything. I stop walking in the field of snow that is almost gone, I tilt my head back and face upward towards the openness that is above me. My eyes turns to the sun, I can't see anything. Normally, a person with sight won't be able to look up at the sky when the sun is out, you would have to squint your eyes to block out the sunlight, but I don't need to, the sunlight does not bother me. I sigh, I then lower my head and slide my feet along the wet snow. As an artist, when you don't have anything you have to procrastinate and use whatever you have. Since I have nothing in mind I have nothing particular to draw. I exhale and I begin to slide my feet while hopping on my other, I drew lines after lines. Occasionally some shapes, mountains, trees, birds and so forth. The whole field is my paper, I don't know when the sun will set but it doesn't matter to me. I continue walking a bit more, I feel slightly sleepy. After walking a bit further, I can hear the faint sound of water flowing I smile, I follow it. It's been almost more than half the day till I heard something different than the chirping of the birds, The soft ground beneath my feet soon turns hard and rocky. The sound of the water is louder now, it's a stream. I tap my walking stick along the rocky earth beneath me and walk towards the sound little bit little, soon, my walking stick hits nothing and that's when I realize that I'm at the edge of the stream. I put down my bundle and kneel down, I place my hands into the flowing water. The cold water hits my skin and I shiver slightly, I take a deep breath and put it back into the liquid again. I scoop up a palmful of water and I smell it, no unordinary smell. I drink it and I let the cold liquid slide down my throat, it quenches my thirst and refreshes my being. I take another deep breath and I stand up.

"I should take a nap here, rest my eyes a little." I say to myself.

I turn around and I walk to the side, I can feel tall presences around the stream, I assume they are trees. I put out my walking stick and I find something, I whack my walking stick on it a few times. The same echoless sound fills the space, it's a tree. I put down my bundle on the ground and I sit down, I then lean back. Against the hard wooden tree trunk and close my eyes, I put my walking stick on my lap. I begin to tap my fingers on the wooden stick and listen to the flowing stream, I think I'll be able to move on. In time, I doze off. When I come to, the air seem colder. The sound of birds has silenced, is it night time now? I sit up straight and stretch, looks like I got a good rest. I stand up and pick up my bundle and walking stick, but then I hear something. I stop what I'm doing and hold my breath, I can hear heavy footsteps on my left, they are becoming louder and closer by the second. I wonder who or what it is? Is it a demon? I begin to feel scared, I can't see so it adds on to the fear and the unknown. I hear the footsteps stop and a growl, I tense up and press myself against the tree trunk. I can smell a faint oder, it's quite strong and unfamiliar. It smells almost like an animal's, a smell that a feline would have without grooming, a bit oily but at the same time a strong scent that is intoxicating. Also I sense a strong aura that is so unfamiliar. I don't feel safe. I then hear the footsteps coming over towards me, I think it found me.

"A human? Well this is new." I hear the voice say with amusement but at the same time something in his voice makes me feel uneasy.

It's a male's voice, he sounds cunning although he only said a few words but I can tell it's not going to end well. He said "a human" which means he's most likely a demon, and probably a dangerous one too. I hold tightly to my walking stick, I'll swing it in case something happens.

"Who and what are you? What do you want?" I ask him on guard.

" A human with a high sense of danger, I'm impressed, but since I caught you here, it will be difficult for you to leave here." He says.

"What do you mean? What do you want and what are you?" I ask him again holding my walking stick up slightly.

"No names are needed, but I will tell you that I am a demon, a leopard to be precise. You see I have come out to hunt, since it's still technically Winter, food is scarce. It's been a while since I've encountered a human but luckily I've encountered one tonight. I haven't hunted a human in a while but I suppose I shall start again." It says with a chuckle.

I feel my blood run cold at his words, my eyes begin to wonder around in fear. I hold my walking stick up and fling it around.

"Hm? A blind human but with a fighting spirit? This hunt should be interesting." I hear him say again, his voice becoming lower and more evil sounding.

"You are not laying a finger on me, you come any closer I'll hit you on the head hard with my stick, I'll make sure you'll run away with your tail between you legs. Leave me alone!" I yell at him.

"We'll just see about that!" I hear it say.

I then hear fast footsteps, he's coming towards me, and fast. I widen my eyes in shock, I need to do something quick or I'll be food. I listen and I wait for his footsteps, a bit more, just a bit more. Now! I swing my walking stick in front of me hard and I feel it hit something, a loud crack is heard and a growl. I hit him! The impact of the hit vibrates through my hands and up my arms, the pain makes me drop the walking stick. I don't know where I hit him or how hard but I can't just stand here I need to do something fast, I turn around and I take a step forward to run. I then feel something sharp scratch my left ankle and I trip on a rock, I let out a gasp. I fall forward hard and I land on my hands on the rocky ground, pain shoots up my left leg. I twisted my ankle, a painful sensation runs through my ankle as well, something runs down my feet. It must be blood, he scratched me.

"Let's see how far you can run." I hear him say with a low growl.

"You won't get me that easily!" I shout back.

I can hear the water in front of me I drag my body to the edge and I pull myself into the cold water, the coldness submerges me. It's so cold that it hurts but if I want to survive I have to, I close my eyes as my head dives under the water. The water current carries me down the stream, I just might be able to escape. But I know I can't stay underwater forever or I'll die. I don't know how far down the stream I am now but I need to get out of the water, if I can run, I'll run. I lift my head out of the water and I gasp, I cough and I open my eyes. How I wish I can see, especially at a time like this. The coldness of the water and air is numbing my body, my ankle still hurts. I grab onto the edge and I shiver, I pull myself out of the water with the energy that I have left. I pant heavily, I think I'm on the other side of the bank. I can't feel my hands almost and I'm shaking, but my mind is telling me to run. I bit my lips and I prop myself up to stand up.

"You think you can run? Think again." I hear the same voice says from the other side of the stream.

My heart stops, oh no he followed me. I instinctively turn around at the sound of his voice, I wish I didn't. I then hear the wind swoosh and a growl from him, is he leaping across the stream? It's not a surprise since he's a leopard and a demon, he's going to have inhuman ability and agility. The next thing I know I feel his clawed hands push me back onto the rocky ground hard, I groan and let out a scream. The impact almost knocked the wind out of my lungs, I hit my head slightly on the ground. I feel dizzy. He has me pinned to the ground, my right hand is free, the bell on my wrist rings without stopping as I try to pry this demon off of me. I hit his face with my dominant hand which is the hand that has the bracelet. It hurts but it's the only thing left that I can do, I push against his chest hard, the bell still rings as I pushed.

"Quite strong for a human who's blind, but what will happen if you lose the strength in your limbs?" He asks me with a chuckle.

'What?" I let out shocked.

The next thing I know, I feel his claws grabbing onto my right wrist, and then ripping into my skin and flesh, the wrist that is pushing against his muscular chest. I hear the bell chime and falls from my shredded wrist, he cut my bracelet off. I hear it fall onto the ground and stopped ringing, pain shoots through my arm and fills my entire senses. I let out a pained scream, I can feel blood rushing down my wrist and down my arm. I can't move my right hand, he must have teared into my tendons. Tears are streaming down my face, I feel my entire body and mind going numb. I scream again in pain and I cry, how did it come to this? I'm going to die, alone and cold. I'm losing blood and it's making my consciousness become hazy, I'm blacking out.

"We can't have you die now, I would very much like to keep you alive and eat you when Spring comes around in the next few days." I hear his voice say.

He sounds far away, I feel my eyes closing. Before I totally black out, Inuyasha flashes in my mind. I'm never going to hear his voice again, I feel my heart beating faster. I try to calm my heart and mind down, because if it continues, I'm going to lose more blood. I try to move my drawing hand again but I can't, only my pinky moves slightly but all the others, no. My body is going numb and weak, I feel myself shiver involuntarily. I try to stay awake but I can't, my eyes eventually close, but not before I feel my body being lifted into the air and then thrown over the demon's shoulder. My conscious fades away. I feel my body shaking when I come too, my head is spinning and I feel weak, I'm on my side and I can feel the hard ground against my skin. Flush against my skin, am I naked? I shake my head to try and wake myself but the more I try to wake myself up the more dizzy I become, I feel so weak and cold. I try to move my hands but they are bound behind my back, and when I try to move my hands only one of them does, I basically can't feel my dominant hand. I then remember the demon slicing through my wrist, I can feel dry blood on my arm. Something is tightly wrapped against my wrist I feel my circulation is about to be cut off. Where am I? I try to get up but I don't have the strength to, my hair is covering my face but I can't brush it away from my face. My heart is beating fast and I can't seem to calm it down, how did I end up like this. I then hear twigs and dry grass, someone is coming close to me.

"Looks like you're awake." A male's voice says.

It's the demon, he's here. I then feel him use his sharp claw and swipe away the lock of hair that is in front of my face, almost like he's playing with a toy.

"Where am I and where are my clothes?" I ask him trying to sound brave.

"Does food need clothes? I don't think so, and you are my food." He responds.

"How cruel… why am I alive? Why didn't you just kill me?" I ask him again.

"You have a strong fighting spirit, I want to see just how long you'll last. It's been pretty boring lately, so finding a human with a stubborn spirit will be good entertainment for a while. Your wrist has been cut open and deep enough to severe some tendons, having you dying so early would be boring so . I have tied a strip of your kimono below your wrist to prevent you from completely bleeding out. You are still losing blood bit by bit, but looks like you'll live for another three days or so. I'm going out hunting again, then when your time comes I'll feast on you." He says with a chuckle at the end.

"How can a being do this…" I say quietly.

"It's life, I'm not human. You never know when a life will come to an end, it could be yours or it could be mine, but until our time comes we live by our rules. Now, don't try to run, because you're in my den. If I remember you are blind, so there's no point in trying because you'll never get out of here, your ankle is swollen so I wonder how far you can get if you did run. Be a good girl and stay until I come back." He says.

I hear him get up and leave, I want to cry but I feel to frustrated. I feel humiliated and degraded, I'm going to die and I can't even get up to run. The worst part is, I can't see my surroundings and I've almost lost the feelings in my dominant hand. I have no other choice but to lay on the ground naked, I'm thirsty, hungry, cold and injured. I feel like giving up but then someone flashes in my mind, Inuyasha. I feel my heart beat faster, why am I thinking of Inuyasha at a time like this? I try to find reasons but in the end it all comes down to one, because I love him. I want to hear his voice again one day, I want to be able to talk to him again as well. For that, I'll hold on, I'll try my best to get up and escape. But I can't right now, I don't have the strength. He has to eat everyday so I'll try my best to regain my strength and escape when he's out, with a goal set I can't stay awake any longer as I feel dizzy. My eyes close and I tuck my body together as close as I can to keep my naked body warm, I try my best not to cry. I have to rest I have to regain my strength, my body may be broken but my soul isn't, not yet. I empty my mind as much as I can, but I keep one thing lit, Inuyasha. I don't know if I fell asleep or lost consciousness, but I black out. When I come to, I feel colder than before, I must be getting sick, I'm shivering all over. I don't hear the demon around, but I can hear the faint sounds of birds outside, is it morning? Afternoon? I feel tired still, looks like I'm not getting any better. How am I still alive at this rate? The weather is cold my immune system can't hold on when I'm bare, I'm getting a cold. Not a surprise I jumped into the cold stream as well, I let out a sigh. I need to escape, tonight is the night. I close my eyes and I wait a bit more, I think I fell asleep for about an hour or 2, I have no idea what time it is but if I want to escape it has to be as soon as possible. I wait and listen for any footsteps or sounds, but the chirping of birds have died down. He must be out hunting again, with my elbow and with the abdominal strength that I have left I prop myself up. My ankle is still swollen, but I have to endure if I want to get out of here, I don't know where I'll run too since I can't see, but I'll let the wind guide me. I take a deep breath and I back up, there has to be a hard surface that I can use as support. I feel cold bumpy surface behind me all of a sudden, I feel the surface with the hand that can still feel, it's a wall. I think I'm in a cave since he said it's a den, I push my body against the cave wall and stand up. Pain shoots up my leg but I bite my lower lips and shut my eyes, I take a deep breath. I'm shivering but I can't let it stop me, I'll run and I'll give my freedom a shot. Whoever finds me I hope that they will be better than the demon now. I feel the wall behind me and I slide to the left, if I keep going I'll eventually find the opening. Since I can still hear, I listen to the wind that's outside. I follow the direction of the faint wind blowing, the rough grass and twigs digs into my feet. Soon my bounded hands doesn't feel the wall anymore, there it is the opening. I take a deep breath and prepare myself for the worst, but I'll take the chance.

"Let's do this_." I say to myself.

I turn back and I run, I can hear the outside wind in front of me. My hair flies behind me as I run, soon the rocky ground turns into cold melting snow. I'm out, I don't stop running, the hard snowy ground hits the soles of my feet and it hurts. The shock of the impact echos through my legs, I keep running with my hands bound behind me, bare and weak. My breath is laboured and I'm thirsty and dizzy from the amount of blood that I've lost. I don't know how long I've been running but I should be far away from the den by now, I might be able to get far enough so that he won't be able to find me. Suddenly I feel something slam against me from my right and knocks me onto the ground, strong arms pins me on my back. I let out a gasp of shock and pain, no it can't be…

"Strong soul indeed, I didn't think you would escape. Shall we head back now?" The familiar sly voice says.

"Let me go! I'm not going to be your toy or dinner!" I shout at him.

"Your life is in my hands now, I'll decide that, but it seems like I'll keep you a bit longer since you're still able to fight. Tsk look, because of your foolishness your wrist is bleeding again, the snow is dyed in red." I hear him say with a sigh of irritation.

I feel weak again, I feel liquid run down my wrist, I really feel like at this point I'm going to die. My head is spinning and the pain front the run finally registers completely, I shut my eyes in pain. I then feel him grab my arms and fling me over his shoulder again, I'm so weak and tired now I don't even have the strength to move anymore. Whatever happens next, let it happen. But for the time that I have left, I'll let the thoughts of Inuyasha be my light. I let my eyes close as the walk of the demon lulled me to sleep, when I regain my consciousness slightly I feel immobile completely, my arms are tied around my back still, I can feel slightly sticky liquid against my skin on my arm, must be my blood. I try moving my legs but they are stuck together, I realize that my legs are bound. I feel completely useless now, I feel dizzy and exhausted. I hear footsteps walking away.

"Now you won't be able to run anymore, I can finally go hunting a bit further now. Rest as much as you want, you'll need it." The faint voice of the demon says above me.

I don't even feel like talking anymore, I close my eyes and let my fatigue take over my senses. My body feels numb now, my body is broken. I'm shivering, will I ever feel the Spring breeze against my skin again? I don't know but I can only hope. I then black out.


	15. Gentle Warmth In The Merciless Coldness

When I come to, I can hear splattering somewhere far. What is it, is it rain? It's raining? I try to get get up but I can't, I then remember that my arms and legs are bound together. I'm weak all over and I'm shivering still, my whole body is so numb I can barely feel it. My throat feels like it's on fire, I'm indeed sick now. The demon doesn't sound like he's near, is he out hunting again? Whatever it is, I feel at peace being alone, perhaps this is my fate.

"Was leaving my village a wrong choice? If I didn't leave my home village, I wouldn't be here right now. In this situation." I say to myself.

No, it was not. Because if I never left my village I would have never fallen in love, I would have never gotten to know someone as special as Inuyasha. I close my eyes and let my tears flow down my face, because I don't know how much longer I can hold on before I die. I tuck my head closer to my chest along with my knees to keep my naked body warm, it's the only last thing that I can do for myself. I lose my consciousness again. I then hear heavy footsteps coming towards me, I want to move but I can't. I stir and let out a groan, who can this be? My ears are slightly ringing and the sound of the heavy rain falls outside, I feel my heart pounding faster I don't want the footsteps to come any closer. As it draws near, I can hear faint chimes of a bell. I gasp as I feel a swoosh of the air above me.

"_!" A loud voice says.

It's different, it doesn't sound like that demon, it's someone else, a voice that I know. Also, this person knows my name.

"I finally found you! What has happened to you?" The person says again with worry and concern in their voice.

It's a man's voice, a heavy and low voice, could it be? I then feel strong hands untying the binds restraining my hands and feet, my limbs are finally free. I immediately move my hands but my dominant hand refuses to move. I feel strong arms propping me up, I hear fabrics rustling and then something is draped over me, it feels like silk cloth, and how warm it feels. Is it his kimono top? He then pulls me into his chest and I rest my head against his bare shoulder, I can feel the warmth radiating off of his skin. I feel long thick hair brushing against my face, his arms holds me to him and I breathe in heavily. I can smell a strong scent from him, a familiar scent that I haven't paid attention to in a while.

"Hang in there_, I'll get you back to the village as soon as I can. There's blood all over your arm, what happened to you…" He says grinding his teeth.

I feel safe now, I feel warm, no more coldness and numbness. I can hear his voice again, I never thought that I would again but here I am. But why is he here? I'm so close to him that I can hear the faint heartbeat of his through his bare chest, it's slightly out of rhythm.

"Inuyasha?" I manage to say his name.

"Ya it's me, don't say anymore and save your strength." He tells me.

I then hear the chimes of the bell again, it rings a few times. He's here? He's actually here.

"Why are you here?" I can't help but ask.

"Geez listen for once, you have t… seems like whoever did this to you is back. Stay right here, I'll be back as soon as I finish with this feline demon." Inuyasha says lowering me gently back down onto the ground.

He doesn't take his top kimono, I want to reach up and grab his hand but I can't.

"Don't go…". I breathe out.

I feel him loom over slightly, then his left hand comes up and caresses my face. Inuyasha is such a brash and impatient person, but his hand feels so gentle right now. The warmth of his hand flows through the skin of my face. He has never done this before, he also rejected me so why?

"I promise, I'll be back to get you, just wait for me alright? You said that you'll wait for me, so, please wait for me this one last time. Don't you dare die on me." Inuyasha says softly.

That's right, I did tell him that, I said that I would wait for him as long as he asks, and he did. So I will, I nod back in response. He has found me, and he saved me. He's asking this one thing from me so I will. I then feel his hand slide away from my face slowly, his long nails glides on my skin.

"Good, I'm going to kill whatever this demon is and make him pay for what he has done to you." I hear him say with slight anger in his voice.

I couldn't fully reply, I use the hand that is still mobile to hold his kimono close to me, it feels so warm and comforting. I then feel his presence leave, his footsteps follows. I hear a low growl from him and then nothing, the faint sound of his footsteps squishes in the wet snow outside accompanied by the rain. I close my eyes and wait for Inuyasha, with the strength that I have left I'll wait for him. I don't know how long time has passed but when I come to, I can feel a presence looming over me again, gentle hands caresses both sides of my face. I can feel the heat radiating off of this person, and their long wet hair dripping rain water onto my arm.

"I'm back_, come on, I'm going to take you back to the village." I hear them say.

I feel their arms going under my knees and behind my back as they lift me up into their arms, my head rests against their chest again. The kimono is still covering me, I can hear their heavy breathing above me. The familiar scent fills my nose, he's back.

"Inuyasha you're back…" I say quietly.

"Ya I'm back, thanks for waiting. You don't need to wait anymore, I'm here now." He responds softly.

I nod and close my eyes, I feel truly peaceful now, I don't feel afraid because Inuyasha is here. I feel his nose glide against my brow gently, how intimate it feels. I don't have the strength to hold onto him but I don't have to worry about falling, because Inuyasha's strong arms holds me close to him. I feel him stand up and then walk out of the cave, I feel the rain pouring down still the moment we exit out of the cave.

"What happened to the demon?" I ask him.

"I made sure that that feline won't go hunting for anyone else again. I'm going to run, hold on to my robe so you'll stay warm." He tells me.

I nod slowly, I feel his hands grip tighter to my body and then, the wind picks up. The shorts strands of my hair brushes against my face as I hear his footsteps racing across the melting snow beneath us, his breath is steady but heavy as he runs. I hold tightly to his kimono robe that is covering me, I close my eyes as I rest against him. I have so many questions in my mind, but I don't have the strength to ask him. The chimes of the bell fills the area around us as he runs, it's above my head. Is he wearing the necklace? Soon, I black out again. I feel cool liquid sliding down my throat, ah, how refreshing. It quenches my blazing thirst, gentle fingers are keeping my mouth slightly open so I can drink. After the liquid stops flowing down my throat, the same fingers wipes away the liquid near my mouth.

"Do you need more water?" A low voice asks me from above and behind me.

I realize that I'm leaning against something sturdy, my back feels warm and so does my front. Light silk like strands brushes against my bare collarbone, I feel arms on each side of me as if encasing me within them. I can hear breathing above.

"Inuyasha..." I say his name weakly.

"Ya I'm right here." He replies back to me.

"Where are we?" I ask him.

I don't feel the raindrops anymore or the wind against my skin, we're somewhere dry and we're both sitting down with me leaning against his chest. I feel him gently tuck a strand of my hair behind my ear, how different it feels than the demon's.

"Do you remember the cave that I told you that day at the sea? Where inside the cave now, the leopard's den was pretty far from the village, it's night time now. It's better for you to get some rest before we set off again, it's still raining. If you get drenched anymore your health will worsen." He tells me.

"I see... why are you here?" I finally ask him.

He doesn't reply back for a few seconds, but I can hear his quiet breathing.

"I had a wake up call, and I realized what I have been pushing away." He finally says quietly.

"What do you mean?" I ask him confused.

"I read your letter, Shippo, Sango, and Miroku had a serious talk with me too and I realized that I have pushed away the only person who could save me from my past, and someone whom has become important to me." He explains to me.

I feel my heart beat faster, but I tell myself to calm down. I turn my head to the left so that I can feel closer to his face, indeed I can feel his breath against my cheek.

"You finding me and saving me... it all feels like a dream. Are you really here?" I ask him not believing what is going on due to the amount of blood that I've lost.

"You don't have to worry, this isn't a dream. I'm here. See?" He says.

I then hear the chimes of the bell next to me from his neck area, he is indeed wearing it. I close my eyes and smile.

"You're wearing it. I'm so glad." I say softly.

"I am. You said that whenever you hear the bell. You know that I'm not far away, right now I'm right next to you. Here, I found this." He tells me.

He gently takes my wrist on my not injured hand, he then ties something around it. Chimes of a bell fills the space.

"Is this?" I ask him surprised.

"Ya, it's your bracelet. I found it by the stream, I caught the scent of your blood and followed it to the den. Thank goodness I got to you before you got worse. After having that wake up call, I realized just how important the necklace is. It wasn't just a gift, it's a link between to people, a symbolism of a special bond. I like to believe that you and I are linked together with these. I'm sorry_, for hurting you." Inuyasha says.

"Thank you for finding me Inuyasha, but you rejected me... so I still don't quite understand." I tell him.

I hear him let out a gentle chuckle, he then holds both of my hands in his big warm ones.

"Looks like you're out of it from the amount of blood lost. Guess I'll just have to tell you when we get back, get some rest for now. Hold on a bit more. We'll be back at the village soon. I'll tell you everything, I won't leave you again. And you don't need to wait for me anymore." He tell me softly.

I want to keep asking but I comply, I'm still weak and I'm sick. I lean my head back against his chest, I feel him brush his nose gently against my cheek again and rests his chin on top of my head. I feel my heart getting lighter at that intimate feeling, he holds me tightly to him and I soon fall asleep with his warmth accompanying me. It's been days since I rested peacefully, but I can finally now with Inuyasha's warmth. Whatever he has to say, I'll wait till we get back. I can hear faint chimes, what is it? My mind feels hazy and my head is spinning, how long have I been out? I try to move my head slightly but then something warm cups my cheek gently.

"_, are you awake now?" A man's voice asks me.

Inuyasha? That's Inuyasha's voice, I open my eyes slowly but as always, I can't see anything. I try to sit up but I'm still pretty weak but I think I'm strong enough to do that.

"Here." Inuyasha says helping me to sit up.

I get up with a groan, I feel my dominant wrist wrapped in cloth. I can't move them, Im still shivering slightly guess my cold hasn't fully disappeared yet, but it's not cold anymore. I'm wearing something now.

"Where are we?" I ask him.

"We're back in your hut at the village. You've been out for 2 days, we were all worried. Sango and Miroku did their best to patch up your wrist and ankle, but it will be a while till it fully recovers. Here, eat up." He explains to me.

My eyes flickers upwards and they begin to wonder around, why is he here with me? I want him to tell me what he told me before I passed out. I feel something against my lips, it smells good. I realized how hungry I am, I open my mouth and something enters my mouth, I close my mouth and I suppose Inuyasha's hand pulls the spoon out of my mouth. I can taste rice and grilled meat inside, I close my eyes and savour the flavour. I chew a few times and swallow.

"Have you been here the whole time?" I ask him quietly.

"Ya, I wanted to be here till you wake up." He replies just as soft.

"Why? And why did you come looking for me when you told me to leave?" I ask him confused.

I hear him let out a sigh.

"Guess I could't blame you for asking. The reason that I went looking for you and staying here by your side is because I realized that I've come to love you, and I didn't want to lose another person that has became important to me." Inuyasha finally says.

My eyes goes wide as I hear him say that. Love? He loves me? But…

"Love me? But you told me that you regretted meeting me and found me a nuisance. You wanted me to leave the village." I ask him.

"Yes I did say that….but I had my reasons…if you will listen and believe me." Inuyasha says going quiet slightly at the end.

I let out a dumbstruck "uh", but then I smile. I'll listen to whatever you have to say since it's about the two of us. He said that he loves me, I want to hear the reasons as to why he said all the things that he said.

"Alright, I'll listen to everything you have to say and I'll do my best to understand it. I reply to him with a smile.

I hear Inuyasha let out a loud exhale and then inhale again.

"Although everything that I said to you has been said, but in the end they were all lies. Well in the beginning yes I did find you annoying, but then as we spent more time together those thoughts faded away and I became grateful to you. What I said about not being able to move on from Kagome, yes I wasn't able to at first but you eventually helped me. Little by little. The reason why I said all of those things to you was because I realized that I have fallen in love with you, I already lost Kikyo and Kagome, I didn't want to fall in love with you and then lose you one day. When you told me that you have fallen in love with me I was shocked, I wished that you didn't because the feelings that I tried to suppress would take over me. You were only staying for Winter, a few months, I told myself that it will go by fast. But guess it didn't hold out. I didn't want to lose you so I said all those mean things to you, so that you will leave and move on from me, and hopefully I can let you go as well. During the trip I wondered if what I did was right, my mind was clouded with doubt. Then when I read your letter and saw the bell that you left behind, and also having a earful from Sango and Shippo…and then having Miroku join in. I got a wake up call and realized that I might be letting the only person that I have allowed myself to love after years of lost disappear forever, so I went searching for you. I wanted to make sure that you were at least alright, but didn't imagine that rejecting you like this for my own selfishness, has put you in danger and close to death. I'm sorry for that." Inuyasha says with sadness in his voice.

I listened to every word that he said, I feel an ache in my heart after hearing him. He actually fell in love with me just as I did him, but he didn't want to accept my feelings afraid that he will eventually lose me just like he lost Kagome and Kikyo as time goes on. Although he says that he loves me, but guess some of my words didn't really go to him. I pout at him slightly.

"Why are you apologizing? It doesn't seem like you. I prefer the loud and brash Inuyasha better." I say to him.

"I'm being serious alright?! I'm trying to tell you my feelings after years of not loving someone else, don't change the subject." Inuyasha replies with a grumble.

I smile and I unconsciously lift my dominant hand to touch his face. I touch his neck first, the bell rings gently. Then I slide my hand up until I find his left cheek, the warmth of his skin fills the palm of my hand. I want to caress his face, but my fingers are moving properly. My drawing hand is useless now, but I can at least feel his face still.

"I know Inuyasha, I'm so happy to finally know your true feelings. Although it was a horrible experience, but if these few days didn't happen, this moment will never exist. I once told you Inuyasha remember, I'll be here to listen to your problems, your pain and sadness. Anything that you want to get off your chest, you were scared to love me because of your fear of losing me one day. But that's what life's all about, we will all leave this world one day but it shouldn't stop us from treasuring the present. I wish you told me so that I could have helped you get pass that block that's preventing you from following your feelings, I wish you told me so that I could have stayed by your side." I say to him.

"I know, it was stupid of me…and selfish. During the trip I thought that you would be stubborn and stayed, didn't think that you actually left…" Inuyasha says trailing off.

I lower my eyes that has been focusing on one place for a while now, and I sigh.

"I wanted to stay, I wanted to hear your voice again but after what you said to me… I realized that if I wanted to move on from my feelings for you I had to leave the place where I developed my feelings, so I thought." I answer him.

I then feel his big warm hand take hold of the hand on his face, he brings it down and I feel his soft lips kissing the tips of my middle and forefinger gently.

"I don't want you to let go of those feelings for me anymore and in return, I'll follow these feelings of mine that I have eventually developed for you and move on from my past. Do we have a deal?" I hear him ask me with a light tone.

My eyes flickers up and moves around as I hear his words, my heart begins to beat faster.

"Do you really mean that? You can finally allow yourself to love me now?" I ask him one more time.

"You want me to prove it?" He asks me with a slight irritated tone.

"Uh." I begin.

The next thing I know, I feel him pull my hand towards him, my whole upper body leans forward as my arm follows. I feel a swoosh of the air between us and then his presence nearing. Then I felt something soft press against my lips, my eyes goes wide in surprise. I can feel the warmth from them, and the smoothness of it. Inuyasha is kissing me, I feel my heart has stopped. His long hair brushes against my face and forehead, his nose is touching my cheek as he caresses my lips with his. My feelings are being returned, my effort didn't go to waste in the end after all. I feel so happy, I'm happy that I can feel Inuyasha again, his warmth and his lips on mine. His voice that I have come to love over time, and the scent of his that tells me that it's him. I close my eyes and relish in this precious moment that I never thought could be possible, Inuyasha's lips continues to move against mine, everything around us seem to stop. A few seconds later, we finally pull away from each other. The warmth and softness of his lips leaves mine, Inuyasha then pulls my head against his chest and holds me to him tightly. Now I can feel the warmth of his body against me, the softness of his kimono glides along my hand as I rest my hands on his sides. I can feel his breathing above me and the gentle chimes of our bells. My eyes are wide in surprise still, but I slowly let everything sink in.

"You waited long enough for me, you don't have to wait anymore. I think I'm ready to move on." I hear him say softly above me.

He rests his chin against my forehead, I hold him closer to me and I nod my head in response. Without knowing, tears starts to fall from my eyes. I'm not sure if they are happy tears or sad tears, but as they fall, I don't feel sad at all. Perhaps, I'm feeling grateful to have earned something.

"I never thought that this moment could happen…" I say quietly.

"Neither did I. I think we have some things to catch up on." Inuyasha replies.

"I suppose we do, what time is it?" I ask him.

"It's night time, Sango, Miroku, and Shippo all went to bed already. They said that you should be able to wake up one of these days, so I waited." He replies smoothing down my hair.

I use to wait for him, this time, he waited for me, he waited for me to open my eyes. Thank you Inuyasha, I pull away from him slightly so we have some distance. He brushes away the tears on my face with his left hand.

"Looks like I need to see Sango and the other to give my gratitude, and to catch up on some things as well. You must be tired Inuyasha, why don't you get some rest." I say to him with a smile.

I feel him letting me go and letting out a loud groan, is he stretching? I then feel light swooshes of the air and rustling of fabric ad hair, is he shaking? I smile at that, he really acts like a cute dog.

"I guess you're right, I'm exhausted. Let's sleep." I hear him say quickly.

I then hear a plop on the ground next to me, my eyes goes wide in confusion. The chimes of the bell rings as he moves. Did he just? Is he? Really?

"Inuyasha what are.." I begin to say.

"I'm too tired to go back to my place, also what if something else happens? I could be here to make sure that nothing does, and besides…"

I hear him clear his throat.

"I've seen your bare body already and ...we confessed to each other so this shouldn't be weird right?" He finishes.

I listen to his words and I can feel my face warming up and my heart starts beating faster, but he's right. I told him that I loved him, and he accepted them and told me his feelings. He has seen everything already of me so what could be more awkward than that? I suppose sleeping next to each other shouldn't be weird, I take a deep breath and I lay down onto my left side. I can feel Inuyasha's presence and aura in front of me, his rhythmic breath gently touches my face. It tells me just how close we are to each other.

"Get some rest, let's go to the tree by the cliff tomorrow. It has stopped raining and most of the snow has melted, we can talk there." He says.

"Sounds good, it's been a while since we've been there together hasn't it?" I say moving my eyes around.

"It has, hopefully we won't banter on the way there." I hear him say blowing a raspberry.

I chuckle.

"I actually miss our bantering." I say with a laugh.

There's a brief silence, I stop laughing. I then feel his hands gently pulling me into him, his warmth once again envelopes me. He rests his chin against my forehead again as he holds me.

"Inuyasha?" I say his name.

"Thank goodness I found you, or else I may have lost the only person that could set me free from my past." I hear him say above me.

I smile at his words and I bury my face against his chest, how warm and precious this moment is.

"Thank you for giving so much effort Inuyasha, Let's get some rest, we have the whole day tomorrow to talk." I say to him.

"Yea. Goodnight." He replies smoothing my hair again.

"Goodnight." I respond back.

I close my eyes and I listen to his rhythmic and calm breathing, his arms wrapped tightly around me. I can only wrap one arm around him, but I can't hold him because my dominant hand has become immobile. I feel slightly frustrated but I'm grateful to have this moment with Inuyasha, I let his warmth and presence lull me to sleep. I thought it would be awkward but… it feels natural to be sleeping next to him. Soon, I doze off, a proper slumber in a while. I have a cold and some injuries that needs recovering, but with time, things will heal.


	16. A Human, A Demon, And A Tree

The next two days, I've been recovering mostly. My swollen ankle has gone down a bit but I don't know if I can walk properly or not, since I can't move my dominant hand I could only use my other hand to eat. Unfortunately, I don't feed myself for long because Inuyasha takes the eating utensil out of my hand and feeds me himself. Inuyasha has stayed by me every day and night, and I'm happy to have him by my side. His warmth fills the atmosphere around me. We don't talk like how a couple would, we banter and tease each other, but we know that behind it all, we love each other. Sango, Miroku, and Shippo all came over to see me the day after I came back to the village, we all sat down and talked. Sango and Miroku checked my wounds and told me that all I need now is wait for them to heal, but I know I'll have scars and permanent damage…but there's nothing that I can do about them. Inuyasha and I also told them about our love that we have finally confessed to one another, Shippo hit Inuyasha on the head. I was surprised Inuyasha didn't retaliate or anything, I suppose it meant that Inuyasha knew that he regretted it. Aside from the scolding of Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, and Shippo all wished us a happy future. Inuyasha wanted to take me to the tree by the cliff but couldn't because I needed to recover, I couldn't be happier knowing that he wanted to take me somewhere that means a lot to him. Today, I seem to be much better. I get dressed after eating lunch, Inuyasha went out to go to talk to Sango so I got the privacy to change. I haven't really gone out in a while, at least not properly so I wonder what the air feels like. As I head to the door I remembered something.

"My walking stick…" I say quietly.

I let out a sigh and hang my head, now that I don't have my walking stick how am I going to get to places. I put my arms along the cool wooden walls of my hut, and I follow the surface until I find the door. I take hold of the handle and I open it, my eyes begins to wonder around. I can feel the sunlight against my face and hands, but the air is still slightly chilly. I take in a deep breath, how refreshing. I raise my face to the sky and glide my eyes in the emptiness, the sunlight does not bother me at all. I slowly take a step forward and slide my foot along the wooden platform until I find the step, I carefully step down and I sit down. The gentle wind carries my hair around me, I close my eyes and take in the serenity. I can hear people's voice far away, the birds chirps above.

"I suppose Spring is finally here." I say to myself with a smile.

I lower my head and open my eyes, I then try to move my dominant hand. I can still feel the wrapped cloth bandage around my wrist, it's slightly painful when I flex the muscles. Although I'm trying hard but the only finger that moves slightly…or at least on command is my thumb. The other four doesn't. I sigh. With this injury, I may never be able to draw another picture again. I close my eyes lower my head, suddenly I can hear gentle chimes of a bell coming towards my direction. I open my eyes and raise my head, I can hear footsteps coming near.

"Are you alright?" The voice that I have come to love asks me.

"I'm alright, I wanted to come out for some fresh air. I've been cooped up inside for quite a few days." I reply back with a smile.

I then feel the air in front of me swoosh slightly, the rustling of fabric and then a presence right in front of me. It surprised me slightly.

"Talk about fresh air, let's go to the tree by the cliff. We can both get some fresh air and talk." Inuyasha says.

"Sounds good." I nod back.

I then feel his presence standing up and then becoming heavy again in front of me.

"Get on." He says.

"Huh?" I respond slightly confused.

"Get on my back, I'll carry you on my back. We can get there faster." He explains.

I suppose this is a moment where I need to respond back.

"Oh so you think I'm slower now, gee thanks. You can't blame me for being slow, I lost my walking stick ok? I used it as a weapon, so of course I'm going to be slower now." I say with a huff.

"Alright alright calm down, I didn't mean to insult you and call you slow. You're injured so I thought this will be better for you." Inuyasha replies trying to control his response.

I smile, I know that Inuyasha wants to help. I just wanted to tease him a little, it's a been a while. I put my hands against his strong back, his warmth radiates and flows through my palms. I slide them upwards, his hair tickles my skin. I eventually find his shoulders and I wrap my arms around his neck, I lean forward and I rest my chin on his left shoulder. I can feel his left dog ear fluttering above me slightly, Inuyasha turns his head to the left and I can feel his nose against my right cheek.

"_?" He says surprised.

"I know Inuyasha, and I'm grateful. It's been a while since we've bantered, it feels nice to be back in the old days." I say gently next to him.

"I suppose it does, now hold on." He replies back with a hmph.

I hold tightly with my still properly functioning other hand, I then feel Inuyasha stand up and his arms hooks underneath my thighs. I don't feel cold because his body warmth flows against my front, the next thing I know the wind picks up. I can hear Inuyasha's steady breathing and his fast footsteps as he runs, I feel like I'm flying as he dashes. I close my eyes and hold on tight as I let Inuyasha take us to the cliff, After a few minutes he starts to slow down, I open my eyes and I can smell the fresh and clean air. The wind seems a bit stronger now.

"Are we here?" I ask him.

"Ya." He responds quietly.

I feel him walk up to something and then he gently lowers me down, I can feel the soft grass below, indeed the snow has melted. I glide my hands along the blades of grass, I smile at the sensation. I hear Inuyasha's footsteps beside me in a distance and the gentle rings of his bell, the sound of his fabric rustles and then a plop. I feel the ground beside me, he's not next to me.

"Inuyasha?" I say his name.

"Ya?" He responds, his voice a bit far away.

"Why are you sitting away from me?" I ask him confused.

"I haven't properly washed in a few days so I don't smell good." Inuyasha says clearing his throat.

Washed? Well, I haven't properly washed these days either due to my injuries but is that all? To be honest I didn't even notice his smell, all I could smell is his normal scent that I have gotten use to. I let out a chuckle.

"Really? I haven't noticed, besides all I could smell is your usual scent that I love. To be honest, even if you did smell, I wouldn't mind at all. So sit beside me please Inuyasha." I say with a smile holding out my non-injured hand out towards his direction.

"You really don't mind?" He asks me.

I shake my head and smile. I then hear a sigh and the grass rustling, footsteps and then a big warm hand gently taking mine and then whoosh of the air beside me. I can feel Inuyasha's presence now, and his scent. Indeed, I can't smell anything different, in fact I should be the one that should be concerned since I'm a human while he is a half demon. His canine nose can probably pick up anything, my face feels warm as I think that. His big hand wraps around mine and I feel warm.

"Since my wounds are getting better, how about lets both take a dip in a stream or somewhere and clean up after?" I suggest.

"Sure, we can go to the waterfall just outside of the village." Inuyasha replies.

"Wonderful, I could use something refreshing after a hectic few days." I say with a sigh.

I lower my head and I try to move my fingers on my dominant hand, my thumb is the only one that properly moves. My tendons has been severed so my fingers doesn't function properly now, I can never draw again, I won't be able to hold a charcoal stick again. I close my eyes and take a deep breath. Then I feel Inuyasha letting go of my other hand and he takes hold of my dominant hand with both of his, I open my eyes and lift my head up. The warmth from his skin flows through mine, how soothing and comforting.

"Inuyasha?" I say his name softly.

"This hand has helped me so much in these few months, because of your art and compassion, it has helped me slowly let go of my past. Now…because of me, you lost the mobility of this hand. You may never draw again." He says quietly.

I feel my heart ache, I shake my head before I even knew it. He's feeling regret all over again because I may never use my dominant hand again. I shift my body to face him, and I lift my other hand up and slowly find his cheek, his warm skin touches my fingertips. I feel him lift his head up, I shake my head again and smile.

"I don't want you to feel sad or anything Inuyasha, I may have lost the mobility of my dominant hand but it's not like I can't do anything without it. There are many people out there in the world with disabilities bu they are still living life the way that they want. Miroku once told me, you lose things but you also gain something. Because of my choice to want to help you move on from the past, I have fallen in love with you. Then because of my love for you I realized that it's burdening you, so I left. Then because of that decision, I got injured and lost my dominant hand. I may have lost that, but I got something in return. My drawing hand was sacrificed and in return, I managed to help you move on from your past little by little till you got to the point that you allowed yourself to love again. To be able to love me. I don't regret it, so I don't want you to regret it either. My decisions has lead to the moment now, and I won't give it up for anything." I say to him with a gentle smile.

There's a brief moment of silence, I then feel Inuyasha lift my dominant hand up and gently kisses each of my fingertips. I soften my eyelids and smile.

"I know I said something about your eyes before but it didn't express how I really felt because I wanted to suppress my feelings, now I'm able to say it properly… I never realized how gentle and beautiful your eyes were_." He tells me.

My eyes widen slightly at his compliment filled with love, I smile again. I then feel him leaning forward and then resting his forehead on my chest, his scent fills my senses. I can feel his thick long hair brushing against my cheek and his dog ears fluttering slightly against my chin, his hands still holding mine.

"Inuyasha what's wrong?" I ask him worried.

"During these 3 months, I started out from guiding you by holding the walking stick because I wasn't really fond of you. I didn't want to touch you. Then as we spent more time together and you helping me, I realized that I have fallen in love with you. But due to my past and memories of Kagome, I didn't want to let these feelings take over me so I tried my best not to touch you, to feel your skin. Unfortunately, at times I didn't realize that I am and it lights the feelings that I had for you little by little. Perhaps, if I fully held your hands and guided you I would have let everything go sooner. Now, I have let most of my past go and that my feelings for you are known, I can finally touch you and hold you, it feels..so comforting and peaceful." He says.

I feel my chest becoming congested, I now understand everything. I always wondered why he didn't want to guide me by taking my hand, but now he's able to and proudly with nothing to tell him that he can't. I rest my chin gently on top of his head, his dog ears flutters again on both side of my jawline. I use my free hand and stroke his thick hair, I move my still mobile thumb of my dominant hand along the skin of his hand as I can't squeeze his hand to show my affection. I kiss the top of his head, it feels like I'm patting and giving my affection to a dog. But I know that this isn't, this is a demon, a being, a being who's able to love. And a demon who has loved passionately twice and suffered through heartaches.

"I understand everything Inuyasha, thank you for telling me your feelings. This moment feels like back in the first two months or so when you told me your past and thoughts because you trusted me, Now that we know that we love each other, I want you to come to me whenever you have things on your mind. Don't run away and keep your feelings locked in, I don't want you to go back to the time when you shut yourself off again. Alright?" I ask him.

"I won't anymore, I have you now by my side. You gave up so much to help me, and because of you I can finally see happiness in the future. I hope that you will stay with me from now on." He replies lifting his head up.

"Of course Inuyasha, I never lost anything, the people that I care about are all here. You're here, you grabbed hold of my life and brought warmth back into my numb body. Loving someone is never easy, but when you let your heart fall in love with someone, one must be prepared for any heartaches. I'm just happy that my affections were returned. Before I left I told you that if you want me to stay, I'll stay, but if you want me to leave, I'll leave. Just now, you asked me to stay by your side, so that's what I'll do." I tell him with a smile and a nod.

"Thank you_, for everything." I hear him say.

I nod, I clear my throat. I suppose something lighter will be nice, brighten up the conversation a little.

"Now that we are back together side by side, I guess you get your job as my "unofficial eyes" again." I say with a chuckle.

I then feel his hands on my cheek and waist, He pulls me gently into him. I wrap my weaker hand around his neck and the other onto his left arm as I lightly fall into his lap, I can suddenly feel his warm and soft breathing against my nose. My heart starts speeding up and I can hear my heartbeat through my ears, he caresses my cheek lovingly.

"I think giving me the title as your "unofficial eyes" is a bit downgrading. At this point, I don't mind being your eyes if I'm able to. I will take you to wherever you need to go, I'll describe everything that you wish to know. Rely on me as much as you need to, and I'll be there whenever you need me." Inuyasha tells me.

I then hear the gentle chimes of the bell around his neck that I made for him, I can feel my eyes tearing up as I hear him say that. I said it for fun but it looks like Inuyasha is ready to act as my official eyes without any complaints. How things changed when our true feelings are revealed.

"Thank you Inuyasha." I reply back to him slightly dazed.

"Don't cry on me, I'm bad at comforting people." Inuyasha says slightly flustered.

I chuckle at his reaction, his hand then lifts my face up towards his. I then feel his nose touch my cheek as he leans in, his lips presses against mine. I let the feeling sink in and I close my eyes, the warmth and softness of his lips caresses mine. My body feels calm and warm as his lips touches my own, we kiss each other for a few seconds, then we pull away from each other. I rest my head against is strong chest, his hair brushes against my face as he holds me. The gentle Spring wind blows across the land, I feel Inuyasha lean back against the tree trunk with me in his arms. I close my eyes and I soon fall asleep. When I wake up, the weather has started to become a bit chilly. It's still early Spring, the Winter atmosphere slightly lingers. I can feel the gentle wind but I don't feel cold, strong warm arms wraps around me, rhythmic breathing fills my hearing from above.

"You are up?" Inuyasha's voice asks me.

I sit myself up straight and stretch, that was a good rest. I smile and my eyes wonder around.

"Ya I am, what time is it?" I ask him.

"The sun is setting, the sky is fiery orange and red." He tells me.

I smile at his description of the world around us.

"Thank you for telling me what the world is like Inuyasha, I can imagine what the sky looks like." I say turning to face him.

"I'm your eyes now so of course. Come on, lets go and relax at the waterfall and head back." Inuyasha says.

"Sounds nice." I respond.

Inuyasha stands up and pulls me up, suddenly I feel my body falling back and my legs going out. I let out a gasp of surprise but then I feel arms hooking behind my knees and waist, Inuyasha has lifted me up and I hook my arms around his neck. His long hair brushes against my skin.

"What are you doing?" I ask him.

"I'm going to carry you there." He responds simply.

"You know I can walk right? You don't need to." I tell him.

"Your foot is still slightly swollen, it's going to take us a long time to get back if you walked." He replies.

"Hey, I'm not that slow." I fire back.

I then hear him letting out a hmph, and then his nose nuzzling against my left cheek. My heart flutters at the gentle sensation, it calmed me down. I close my eyes and lean into it.

"Just stay still and don't move too much, we'll be there soon." He tells me quietly.

I nod my head in response as I can't seem to form words, I then feel him walking. Each step rocking me as he walked, I rest my head below his neck and I listened to his breathing. About 15 minutes later I can hear the sound of heavy water, sounds like we are here. Inuyasha lowers me onto the ground and I take a deep breath, it's so fresh.

"We're here?" I ask.

"Yep." He responds.

I then hear rustling of clothing where Inuyasha is standing.

"You're taking off your clothes now?" I ask him surprised.

"Sure am, you should too if you want to head in the cool water." He tells me.

"That would make sense wouldn't it?" I respond back with a chuckle.

I take a deep breath and start to untie my obi, my heart is starting to speed up. Why should I be nervous and embarrassed? Inuyasha has seen me bare to my skin already. We are in love and this shouldn't be a problem. I fold up my obi and then open up my kimono. I shed my clothes and fold them up and place them on the ground. I feel Inuyasha walking up behind me and scoops me up again. His warm skin flush against mine feels heavenly, his long hair brushes against my arm. I cover my front with one hand and my other around his neck as he holds me. He then starts walking, I can hear small pebbles crunching below us. The sound of flowing water fills all around, I then feel the two of us descending. The water ripples sounds beautiful, the cool water touches my feet and bottom and I shiver slightly. Inuyasha's hands tighten around my legs and waist and holds me closer to him. He lowers the two of us completely into the water, it's cool but refreshing. The side of my body that is flush against Inuyasha feels warm, Inuyasha lowers me completely into the water and then wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me onto his knee. We sat down in the water and I leaned against his shoulder, he rests his chin on top of my head. The two of us just sit there in silence as we let the water run against our bare skin, cleaning us.

"Remember when you fell asleep by the tree? That was nice." I say with a chuckle.

"Ya, I really did fall asleep that day, the rhythmic tapping of your walking stick and your words lulled me into a gentle slumber, I'm not lying. Kinda miss seeing you and that wooden walking stick." He responds with a sigh.

"I'm glad. Ya I miss that walking stick too, I miss that butterfly." I reply back.

"Why did you carve a butterfly on the walking stick? Is it because of your nickname?" He asks me.

"I suppose that can be the case, but no. Butterfly symbolizes changes and growing stronger. I wanted to become stronger for myself after I lost my sight, to not let anything bring me down because I can't see. I wanted the butterfly to remind me everyday to live life freely and beautifully." I answer him with a chuckle and smile.

There's a moment of silence, and then he kisses me on my left temple.

"You are more stronger than you know, even stronger than me. Even when the world is crashing around you you held on, and I'm grateful to you for holding on and waited for me. I'm thankful." He tells me with slight sadness in his voice.

I lift my left hand up and gently touch his face, I then turn my body around and I find his lips with mine. I push the two of us underwater but not losing contact between our lips. I let the cool water submerge my whole body, the moment we both submerge in the flowing element, everything went mute. The only thing that I can here are the muffle sound of the flowing water and my own heartbeat, we caress each other's lips as he holds me close to him. His body heat keeping both of us warm, our hair flows against our faces. How calming this moment is, I then release his lips and rest my cheek next to his. We stay like that for a good few seconds and then we surfaced, water droplets flows down my face, the dripping of the liquid sliding down my bare skin. I open my eyes, and I start to wonder around but my face is laced with a smile.

"Calming wasn't it? Let's not think back on the past and focus on the present." I say to him.

"You're right." He responds back.

I nod, the two of us stayed a bit longer and exited out of the water, we dried ourselves and Inuyasha helps me dress up. He then piggybacks me back to the village, I assume it's dinner time now. He takes us to the big hut and I can smell dinner, the two of us enter and the warm atmosphere that I missed comes back.

"_!" Shippo's energetic voice shouts.

"Hi Shippo, Sango, Miroku." I reply with a smile.

"Glad to have you join us dear." Sango replies with kindness in her voice.

"Indeed, it's been quite a while since we all sat down and ate together, come sit." Miroku responds.

We all sit down and Sango finishes setting the table, Inuyasha sits beside me with Shippo on the side and Miroku and Sango across from us.

"It's nice to see you and Inuyasha together." Miroku mentions.

I feel my cheeks heat up but I smile.

"Don't tease us Miroku." Inuyasha replies flatly.

"No one is teasing, we're happy for you two, thank you so much again_ for helping Inuyasha get pass the hurdle of his past when we couldn't." Sango responds.

"It was my own choice to try and help him, I'm just happy that I was able to help lighten the weight that he has carried for years. Thank you for the congratulations." I respond back with a bow.

"Inuyasha you stubborn and stupid dog, it was stupid of you to push_ away like that after everything that she has done for you. I could hit you right now." Shippo mutters.

"You don't need to keep reminding me you little brat, I know what I did." Inuyasha replies back with irritation in his voice.

I feel bad after hearing that, I feel like I did all that to gain something in return. I look down.

"You're staying with us from now on right_?" Sango asks me.

Her question pulls me back to reality and I lift my head up, I smile.

"Inuyasha has asked me to stay, so I'll stay by his side." I respond back.

"That's wonderful, any future plans?" Miroku asks.

Future plans? Uhm, I don't think we have thought of anything that far yet. I don't know what to say, then I feel a big warm hand take mine in theirs. It startled me slightly, I realize it's Inuyasha.

"We haven't thought that far yet, we will see where each day leads us." He tells them.

I smile at his words.

"Indeed, the present is what matters. We're happy to have you back Inuyasha." Miroku responds back with content in his voice.

I place my other hand over Inuyasha's and gently squeeze it in return. We finish dinner together and I helped clean up as much as I can. Then Inuyasha and I walked back to turn in, His hand held mine as we walk side by side. The sounds of crickets are in the distance, our feet crunches on the gravel.

"Today was nice, thanks Inuyasha." I say to him.

"It's nothing to thank me for, besides, you helped me more than I have you." He responds.

"Listen Inuyasha, I don't want you to feel like you owe me anything, I don't want this relationship to be like that. It would be great if we bantered and teased each other like before but except with love involved." I say to him.

Inuyasha doesn't respond back to me but then he stops walking.

"We're here, I should light some candles and warm up my room a bit since you're here tonight." Inuyasha says.

What? His place? I thought he was guiding me back to my place, guess I wasn't paying attention since now that Inuyasha is with me. I'm slightly dumbstruck.

"You're place? I thought we were walking back to my place." I say to him.

"I was going to, but I changed my mind. I want to spend tonight with you here. I know what you mean when you said that, I do feel like I owe you a lot for what you have done, but I know that you don't want anything in return. The only thing that I can give you is my love, I love you isn't because I owe you, I love you because I have truly fallen in love with you. You don't need to feel as if you are robbing me of something, because you are not. I'm willing to give you everything_. Tonight, I want you here with me….I want you." Inuyasha tells me straight out.

I feel my eyes widen as I hear him say that, Inuyasha caresses my face. I feel like everything went mute for a second, I let everything sink in slowly.

"_? You alright?" Inuyasha's voice asks me pulling me back to reality.

I blink and I try to focus my eyes on the person that is standing in front of me. I smile at him and touch his hand with mine. The warmth of his skin laces the palm of my hand. I want you too Inuyasha, if you are willing to give everything of you to me, then I shall give the same amount back.

"I want you too Inuyasha." I respond back.

"I'm glad." I hear him say his voice laced with content.

He then lets go of my face and takes my hand in his.

"Let's go in, I'll light some candles for us." He says.

Inuyasha then guides me to his hut, I hear the wooden door open and the light thud of our footsteps as we enter into a space just for the two of us. My heart is beating fast but I know it will be alright, because I love and trust Inuyasha.


	17. A Mutual Euphoria

Inuyasha guides me to the middle of the room, it's slightly cold. He lets go of my hand and I hear him walk back towards the door and hear it close, the outside sounds dies and all I can hear is the footsteps of Inuyasha coming back to my side. I feel my heartbeat increasing in speed, Inuyasha's words repeats in my mind, he wants me.

"Give me a second." He tells me.

I then hear him walking in front and kneeling down, the sound of his bell necklaces chimes gently. I touch the bracelet on my wrist after hearing it, I smile knowing that we share something together. I then hear gentle flickering, it must be the candles. I hear Inuyasha get back up and walking back to me, he then takes my hand in his big warm ones. When he's with me, I don't feel cold at all.

"Come, the futon is in front of us." Inuyasha tells me.

He guides me forward slightly, and soon I feel the soft futon beneath my feet. I feel my cheeks heating up as the moment hits me. I take my other hand and rests on his that is holding my other, Inuyasha stops.

"Inuyasha, about what you said earlier… about wanting me…" I start to say.

"Ya, what about it?" He replies back.

"I know that I said the same thing back, but do you really want me?" I ask him.

"Well, did you meant what you said?" He asks me back.

"Yes." I simply reply.

"Then that's my answer." He replies back.

Guess it was a stupid question, I look down in embarrassment. But then I feel his big hand on my cheeks lightly, he lifts my face up. Then I feel his lips on mine, soft and warm. I widen my eyes at the unexpectedness, then he releases me and rests his forehead against mine. He lets go of my hand and holds me to him, his body warmth being felt through our kimonos. I can feel his warm breath.

"I know how you feel, it feels unreal and I feel the same. Having those words come out of my mouth was unexpected but my heart wants you, so my mind followed." He tells me.

"You really have moved on if you are willing to give yourself to me, someone who you only known for a short amount of time compared to Kagome. I feel like I'm stealing something from you." I tell him quietly.

"Like I told you, you aren't stealing anything from me, I want to give myself to you. I've waited for centuries to finally give myself completely over to someone, and my heart is telling me that it can't wait anymore. I thought it was Kagome, but it seemed not to be now. I have fallen in love with you after shutting my heart off for years, I told myself that Kagome would be the last woman that I'll love, but after meeting you, you helped me unlock my heart again and understood me in so many ways. Although we've only known each other for a few months, but sometimes, a few months can surpass years. I don't want to let this opportunity go anymore, I want to share everything with you tonight and I hope you feel the same. I don't want you to feel bad about anything, we deserve some happiness. You once told me that Kagome wouldn't want me to be chained to the past, she would want me to live a life of joy. Right now, this is my happiness and wish." He tells me.

I focus my eyes to the demon in front of me even though I can't see him, I smile at his words of affections. It's true, although we haven't known each other long, but our emotional bond has allowed us to understand each other quickly.

"I want you too, and you're right. We have lost so much and held back for the sake of others, tonight, let's let ourselves go and find happiness in each other." I reply back to him.

I then feel Inuyasha's lips back on mine, I close my eyes as I feel his bangs brushing against my forehead and his nose against my cheek. I let my happiness and love that I have for Inuyasha take over me, after kissing each other for a a few seconds we release each other. My breathing has fastened and so did his, I can feel his body warmth becoming warmer. I open my eyes and it starts to wonder, I'm trying to focus. He then lets go of my waist and scoops me up in his arms, I wrap my arms around his neck, his long hair brushes against my arms. He nuzzles my cheek with his nose, I feel him take a few steps and then lowers me onto the soft futon. I can feel him looming over me, his long hair brushes against my arm and neck. I put my dominant hand up and I find his cheek and caress it, his own hand comes up and holds mine.

"Let's take in all the joy that we can obtain tonight." I say to him with a smile.

"Yes." He replies back, his voice laced with love.

He then puts his arm behind my back and props me up, we now sit face to face. He takes both of my hands and put them behind his neck, my fingers falls along the ribbon of his bell necklace. His hands guides mine, I use my functional fingers and untie the knot of the necklace, the bell gently chimes. I eventually untie the bell necklace and I hold it in my hand as I unwrap my arms from his neck, he then takes the necklace from my palm and place it beside us, the bell rings one more time then falls quiet. I then feel his fingers take hold of my own bell bracelet and removes it gently, then placing it beside his. He then takes my hands again and place it on his chest, he lets go of my hands and waits. No words are needed, we know what we are doing. My hands travel along his kimono and I find the knots, once again with my functional fingers I untie the knots of his kimono from top to bottom. Once I finish, I hear the fabrics rustle which tells me that he is removing his kimono. I hear the gentle sound of it on the wooden floor beside us, my heart is beating so hard that I can hear it in my ears. I then feel his hands on my obi, he leans in and I take a deep breath. He unties it and places it beside the futon, his fingers then goes to my kimono knots and unties each and everyone of them. He then takes my collar between his fingers, his long nails gliding against my skin causing me to shiver. He sheds my kimono from my body, I can feel the cool air around us lacing my warm skin. I inhale sharply as I hear my kimono touching the ground, the next thing, I feel Inuyasha's hands on my cheeks lifting my face up.

"Are you cold?" He asks me.

"No, I never felt cold when you are here with me. Even during Winter, when we were next to each other, the heat of your body can always be felt. Whenever I felt your warmth, I felt safe, it felt comforting." I answer him with a smile.

"Never realized that my warmth can make someone feel safe, especially for someone like you." He replies back.

I then feel his weight gently pushing me back onto the soft futon beneath us, my head falls onto the silk fabric. The coolness of the fabric crawls up my back, I shiver. I feel his long hair resting on my chest and arms as he rests himself between my legs and onto my body, his body heat completely envelops me as I can feel his breath. I can feel him at my private area as he gently spreads my legs, his strong chest rests against mine as I can sense his arms beside my head. He is propping himself above me, our breathing fast.

"Now, I want to feel your warmth. Let's feel each other's warmth from the deepest part of us." Inuyasha quietly says.

I couldn't say anything because my mind seem to be in a haze, so I nodded in response accompanied with a smile. I then feel him lean down and his lips finds mine, I close my eyes as I lose myself in this moment. His lips caresses mine, and then I feel his tongue against my lips. Unconsciously, my lips part and our tongues meet. My mind seem to have shut down at this point. Our tongues dances around as we kiss each other, the heat of the kiss seem to mute everything around me. I then feel his hands spreading my legs out a bit more and then he positions himself, we release each other, our tongues separating. Our breathing are ragged, his nose nuzzles mine.

"I've never made love, but I know it can be painful. So if it's too much, tell me, and I'll stop." He tells me.

"I won't, I want us to experience this together, I don't want to give up because of slight pain. A few days ago I was alone, injured, and cold and on the verge of death. I'm sure this will be nothing. If you are willing to go through with this, then I'll stay by your side." I say to him, caressing his warm cheek.

"Of course. Let's feel this together." He answers me.

His lips urgently finds mine and our tongues entwine with one another again, I then feel him starting to push into me. I shut my eyes tightly at the sudden intrusion, I hold in my strained scream at the sudden pain and pressure, I wrap my arms around his strong back. As Inuyasha pushed into me, I can feel his back muscles moving and his breath straining. I try to resist him on instinct but I don't want that, I try to relax my mind and hold my breath. I ground myself by pushing my feet onto the futon that is on the ground. Inuyasha stops a little and then pushes himself inside of me again, I relax my muscles and let him in. Eventually, he does. I let go of my breath and let everything sink in, pain and pressure fills my senses. But as I push all that aside, I can feel Inuyasha, oh how warm he feels. So warm. I let out a quiet whimper. But then I feel Inuyasha's hand on my cheek again.

"Are you alright?" He asks me concerned.

"I'm fine, it just seem all so new to me. I'm alright, how are you feeling?" I ask him taking in a deep breath and exhale.

"I never felt anything like this, you feel so warm. It envelops me completely, I feel that I'm one with you." He responds back, his words laced with that of a smile.

"I'm glad, you feel so warm as well, warmer than any other times that we were together. Let's lose ourselves in this warmth tonight." I say with a smile.

The next thing I know, his lips are back on mine, his chest flush against mine. His hair tickles my bare skin as I feel his back muscles flex. He starts moving. He pulls himself out slowly and then pushes himself back in, I shut my eyes tightly at the sensation. It's still slightly painful and the faint pressure, Inuyasha then starts to increase in speed. He let's my lips go and rests his face next to mine, our breathing becoming quick and ragged as our moans fills the room. The pain eventually fades and a different sensation takes over, a gentle tingling sensation fills my lower abdomen. I wrap my arms tightly around Inuyasha as he moves, our bodies rock together as we make love. Perspiration slowly start to lace our skin as minutes go by, the sound of the fabric rustling and our heavy breathing fills my ears. All of my senses seem to be alive, aside from my sight. It doesn't matter in this moment, because I can feel, I can feel the love, Inuyasha's warmth and smooth skin. I can hear the sounds of our pants and the fabric beneath us shifting as we move. I tasted Inuyasha as we kissed and I can smell Inuyasha's scent of him being so close. I can feel the gentle flutters of his dog ears above me, his long claw like nails gently digging into my arms. Everything else doesn't seem to matter, right now it's just Inuyasha and I, in this moment, making love to each other. With each movement and second, the tingling sensation intensifies. I'm slightly scared of this feeling, but I'll withstand it because Inuyasha is with me. I close my eyes and let the feeling slowly indulge my being, I begin to furrow my eyebrows. Inuyasha doesn't slow down but keeping his momentum entering me.

"Inuyasha… something feels different. It's coming quick." I whimper out between heavy breaths.

Inuyasha pulls his face away from mine, his heavy panting leaving my ear. He holds my face in his warm palm.

"I know, I feel it too. Let it take over you, relax and let it take over you when it becomes overwhelming. I'll be here to hold you." He assures me.

I nod, feeling Inuyasha inside in the most deepest part of me. I relax my mind and I feel the growing sensation starting to become overwhelming, my breathing becomes hitched and ragged. My brows are furrowed and I can feel my heart beating faster, I wrap my arms tightly around him.

"Inuyasha… it's on the verge…" I start.

The next thing I know, a sudden rush filled my whole being, the tingling feeling overwhelms all of my senses. I can't hear anything, I can't smell anything, I can't feel anything with my limbs. My body becomes tense, and I feel as if my whole body is floating. My head falls back and my eyes closes as the tingling feeling takes over, my back arches and I can feel every single muscle tensing up. I let out a hitched moan, unconsciously, I can feel Inuyasha still moving as if to draw it all out. It lasts for a few seconds and my back touches the warm futon again. My chest falls heavily as I try to catch my breath, my muscles spasming lightly now and then, is this what euphoria feels like? My body feels numb and then all of my senses aside from my sight slowly comes back to me. I then feel Inuyasha's lips on mine, his tongue finding me again.

"You looked beautiful." He tells me releasing my lips.

"Did you reach yours?" I ask him panting.

"It was enough feeling you reach your highest point." He answers me.

I kiss him and prop myself up by the elbows, his long hair tickling my chest.

"I don't want that, I want you to feel it too. We said that we will feel pure joy tonight, I did, knowing that you haven't won't make me happy." I say caressing his face.

"_." Inuyasha says quietly.

I smile.

"You deserve it, you have felt pain from lost for far too long. I want to give you everything and anything that can help you forget it." I add.

Inuyasha leans down and kisses me again, I close my eyes and turn my body to the right without breaking the kiss. I feel him exiting me as I fully turn onto my stomach, Inuyasha looms over me again. He rests himself between my legs and he rests his front onto my back, careful not to crush me. His body warmth covers my whole back, I break the kiss and I use my properly functioning hand to find his and hold it. He kisses my cheek as I close my eyes.

"Thank you_, being with you is more than enough." Inuyasha whispers next to my ear.

It sends a gentle shiver down my spine, then I feel him entering me from behind. Familiar feelings of pressure and pain occurs again, but as Inuyasha starts moving, the feelings fades and the faint tingling sensation appears again. Once again, our pants fills the room as we make love. The rustling of the fabric beneath us fills my senses, I bite my lower lip as I feel Inuyasha moving inside of me. I thought that feeling it once was enough, but I realized that it wasn't. He rests his body on top of mine and he kisses my cheek and ear, how heavenly this all feels. Seconds ticks by and minutes passes, our bodies are laced with a thin layer of sweat. Inuyasha's hands glides along the sides of my body, sending shivers through me. I want Inuyasha to reach his climax this time, he stopped last time because I reached mine. I calm my mind and not think of myself, but Inuyasha. I focus solely on him, I take hold of one of his hand and I prop myself on my elbows. As I do so, Inuyasha props himself up as well. I turn my head slightly to come in contact with his face, his heavy breathing brushes against my face. I find his nose with mine and with that I then find his lips, Inuyasha doesn't stop thrusting into me. I can feel pleasure building up but I try to suppress it. Soon, I feel Inuyasha's moaning becoming more heavy through our kiss, his movements starts to lost momentum. Does this mean that he's close. I continue to caress his lips with mine, and then Inuyasha stops moving after sheathing himself completely in me. He lets out a muffled moan, I can feel his hold on my hand tightening and his muscles tensing. He gently bites my lower lips as he tries to stay grounded . A sudden rush of overwhelming warmth fills me inside where we are connected, it lasts for a second or two. Inuyasha lets go of my lips and rests his face against my shoulder blades, I rest my head back onto the futon. We give ourselves some time to come down, our heavy breathing fills the space incasing us. Inuyasha's arms envelops me, I can feel his weight slightly as he is resting on my back. He must be really exhausted, who knew that making love can tire a being like him, a demon out. Inuyasha then slides off of my back slightly, he exits me at the same time. His arms wraps around my stomach and he pulls me back, I prop myself up as well and he pulls me back into him. His body heat radiates off of him. His muscular arms holds me tight and his long hair brushes against my bare skin, I can feel his chest rising and falling as he breathes. Inuyasha kisses my left shoulder blade and then rests his cheek on my shoulder, I can hear his laboured breathing next to my ear and his right dog ear fluttering against my hair. I close my eyes and rests my cheek against his.

"I never knew that there could be a feeling such as what we felt just now." I tell him softly.

"Neither did I." Inuyasha replies back.

I turn my body around to face him, his arms loosens slightly to give me movement. I find his shoulders and I sit on his lap, I can feel him near my intimate region. His hands holds my waist, his long nails gently digging into my skin. I touch his face with my dominant hand, and I rest my forehead against his, his fluffy bangs feels rough and slightly damp from the perspiration.

"I want to feel it again, together this time." I whisper to him.

I feel him nod and I smile, our lips naturally come together. I then feel his left hand letting go of my side and reach beneath me, I feel him entering me slowly once again. I furrow my brows at the pressure, a slight whimper escapes my vocal chords. I hold tightly to Inuyasha's shoulders, he slowly comes into me bit by bit. How hot he feels inside, this time, there were barely any pain, I feel full with him inside. We both let out a sigh of content being connected once again, this time I move against him. Inuyasha rests his face against my collarbone, our heavy breathing coming back. I move against him as we make love for the third time, pleasure slowly starts building in my lower abdomen. Inuyasha's big warm hands glides along my sides, sending shivers up my spine. I then feel him leaning back, the heat against my front side fades but my lower region feels as if it's on fire. Inuyasha finds my hands and laces his fingers between the gaps of my fingers, I tilt my head upwards as I move. My senses feels so alive, pleasure grows more and more each second. Our heavy breathing and moans fills the room, soon I feel the pleasure about to reach its limit. My breathing becomes faster.

"Inuyasha… I'm close." I tell him.

"I am too, let it go. Let yourself go_." He assure me.

I can feel my movements slowing down and I think Inuyasha realized. He lets my hands go and wraps around my back, he pulls himself back up and holds me flush against him. I feel him take over, he enter and pulls himself out. I wrap my arms around his neck, his long hair tickles against my arms. His fast and heavy breathing is so evident along with mine, then I feel my lower abdomen snap. I shut my eyes tightly. Breath hitching.

"Inuyasha…" I murmur out.

My muscles tenses up and the tingling feeling overwhelms me, this time it feels so much stronger than the previous ones. It's overwhelming to the point that I let out a strained moan almost screaming, I hold tightly to Inuyasha as to not lose myself. I feel as if I'm floating away, it lasts for a few seconds and then I come down, my muscles releases all its tensions. I feel my muscles spasming slightly from the after effect feeling of pleasure, I try to regain my breathing but I can't properly. Inuyasha is still moving, I have felt mine, he still hasn't. I want to help him, I rest his head against my chest and I stroke his hair and fluffy dog ears.

"_, I'm…close." Inuyasha mutters out.

"I'm here, let go whenever you're ready." I tell him kissing the top of his head.

After a few more strokes, he sheaths himself completely inside again. I feel him swell up slightly and then rushes of warmth, it almost brings me over the edge again. I close my eyes and hold him close to me, Inuyasha's muscles tenses as he holds me. His hot breath against the skin of my chest, I feel him tremble slightly as he calms down. He lets out a strained moan, I kiss his forehead. The two of us sits there in each other's arms, connected in our intimate areas.

"I never imagined that you can be this affectionate." I say to him with a chuckle.

I feel him pull himself away and then brushes the messy hair from my face.

"I am a dog demon, I have canine genes inside of my blood. Like a dog, when I like someone I'll give them all of my affections. Tonight, I'm able to show my affections for you so I want to love you as much as I can. I don't want a moment like this slip away again." He tells me.

I nod in understanding, I then pull myself off of him. I guide him with me as I lie back onto the slightly damp futon, Inuyasha rests beside me. I feel him pull the cover over the two of us as he holds me in his arms, his body warmth gently surrounds me.

"Thank you for allowing me to feel pure joy tonight_." Inuyasha tells me with softness in his voice.

"I want to thank you for falling in love with me and allowing the both of us to experience it tonight as well." I reply back.

I feel him lift my chin up and then his lips touches mine, his tongue finds me and we lose ourselves in this blissful kiss. We let each other go a few seconds later and then Inuyasha rests his cheek against my temple as I rest my face beneath his chin. His hands wrapped around my shoulder and waist, how I wish this moment can last forever. I feel my mind starting to fall into drowsiness.

"Get some rest, I'll see you tomorrow." Inuyasha says stroking my back.

I let out a "hmm" in response, and then I let my mind slowly drift off into a tired but blissful slumber.


	18. A Selfless Intervention

I regain my consciousness slowly, my head feels a bit woozy. I'm lying on my right side. I can feel the slight chill in the room but the sunlight gently touches my face from the window, I smile at the feeling. I yawn and close my eyes again, everything goes mute, after the yawn I give my senses a moment to come back to me. I feel something slightly heavy and warm around my stomach, and breathing against my bare back. Quiet snoring can be heard behind me, I smile as I know who it belongs to. Inuyasha and I made love last night, we finally gave ourselves to each other, a start of moving on especially for Inuyasha. I turn onto my side as quietly as possible, I touch his strong arm around my waist and lift it up slightly so I can turn around to face him. Looks like Inuyasha is a pretty heavy sleeper, as I turn around his snoring sounds louder and I can sense his face right in front of mine. The inhale and exhale of his rhythmic breathing is hypnotic. I listen for a while, I don't even realize but after a while it goes quiet. I blink to get a grasp on what is going on.

"You're awake." A voice suddenly says catching me off guard.

"Inuyasha, when did you wake up?" I reply back surprised.

"For a good few minutes now." He says.

"But you were snoring away." I say with a light chuckle.

"Well you can say I was half awake, now I'm fully awake. Did you rest well?" He asks me.

His arm around my waist holds me a bit tighter and he draws me closer to him. His warm breath laces my face, his bare chest flush to mine. How heavenly this moment feels.

"Yes, hearing your snores it seems as if you rested well too." I answer him back with a smile.

I feel Inuyasha nuzzle my nose with his, his fluffy bangs brushes against my forehead. I giggle and I reach up with my hand to find his soft dog ears on the top of his head, I feel up his hair until I find the soft fur. His ear twitches and I can hear the light swooshes, I then feel his head shaking slightly.

"What was that for?" He asks me with slightly playful irritation in his voice.

"It was a morning greeting I suppose." I reply back sticking out my tongue at him.

"Well you didn't need to tickle my ears you know? There are other ways to greet each other in the morning." Inuyasha replies back with a bored tone.

I then feel his lips on mine, caressing my skin with his. I close my eyes at the sensation, our lips part from each other and I lay my head back onto the soft futon. As I lay there with Inuyasha, I can't help but notice the emptiness and colourless vision. Ever since becoming blind, I haven't thought about wanting to regain my vision. I knew that it would be impossible anyway. But right now, at this moment, I wished. Without knowing my hand comes up to find his face, when I do I gently glide my fingers down his smooth skin.

"_?" I hear him say my name slightly concerned.

I shake my head and I let out a sigh, I lift my hand away from his face and I hold onto the futon cover with my functional hand. I prop myself up and I just sit there staring into emptiness. My slightly messy hair from our lovemaking last night falls to the side of my shoulders, I then feel Inuyasha sit up beside me.

"_, what's the matter?" He asks me.

I turn my head towards his direction and I try to focus my eyes on one place.

"After last night, spending the intimate night together with you. I wished, I wished for something. I tell him.

"What do you wish for?" He answers me.

"I wish that I can see your face Inuyasha, I remember telling you that all I can remember are your dog ears, white silver hair, and amber eyes. But I don't remember what your face looks like, just vaguely. I want to remember what you look like, I want to see the face of the person that I love." I tell him.

"_." He says.

"Is it wrong to ask for something like this even though I know it may never happen?" I ask him with a sigh.

I lower my eyes, I then feel both of Inuyasha's hands on my cheeks lifting my head up. My eyes feels watery.

"No, there's nothing wrong for wishing to see again, I wished for some many things as well even though I know they are things that may not come true. You've lost so much_, wishing to see isn't selfish at all or anything wrong. I know that fear of forgetting someone, what they look like and what they feel like. Although I can feel and see you, but knowing that your eyes can never properly focus on me, it pains me, it reminded me that you were able to see once, you saw my face a long time ago. I also wish that you can see my face again, to remember what I look like. I just want you to know that, even if you can't see my face it shouldn't matter. I'll love you regardless. You taught me that it's alright to want and wish for things." Inuyasha tells me with a reassuring voice.

"Thank you Inuyasha." I nod back.

I feel Inuyasha kiss me and pulls me into his chest, his warmth radiates off of his skin. His long hair brushes against my bare body.

"I should thank you_, you've helped me more than I ever could for you." Inuyasha says.

I smile at his words and bury my face into his chest and take in his scent. Inuyasha then pulls the two of us back into the futon, with the man that I love holding me, I drift back to sleep in this still early morning. A few days goes by since we gave ourselves to each other, I feel happy everyday knowing that Inuyasha is beside me. I begun to share Inuyasha's room now. The bell on my wrist and on Inuyasha's neck chimes simultaneously as we walk side by side, being beside Inuyasha feels like it's where I belong. I'm willing to let go of my own village to be here with Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, and Shippo. It's a symbol of me moving on completely. I try my best to help out as much as I can now that Spring has blossomed. I regain my consciousness to another day, I feel Inuyasha's body heat behind me as I'm lying on my side. His rhythmic snoring fills my hearing and space, I can feel his breath against my back shoulder. I want to turn around and touch his face but I should let him sleep. I lift the cover quietly and sit up, I let the faint feeling of sunlight lace my skin as I take a moment to regain my senses. I pat the ground beside me to find my kimono, soon the silk fabrics comes in contact with my fingertip. I slide my arms through the sleeves and I stand up quietly and carefully as to not wake him, I use my functional hand to close my kimono, I put my hand along the wooden walls of the room. I feel the cool wooden floor beneath my feet, I have a good sense of the layout of the room after so many days. I let the wall guide me to the window, I can feel the dim warmth of the sun on my face as I face it. I close my eyes and take in the faint sensation, I put my palm against the paper screen of the window, I can hear the faint chirping of birds outside.

"You know, if you want to try and go somewhere without waking me up, you should think of a more effective way than just getting up." A familiar low voice says.

I open my eyes and turn my head to the direction of the futon. I hear footsteps walking up to me, the familiar scent slowly fills my nose.

"Inuyasha, you're up again." I say.

I feel him stop behind me and kisses me on the cheek, his long rough hair brushes against my face. His left arm wraps around my waist and he stands on my right, I smile.

"You know, I think that even if I manage to think up of away to slip out, you'll still be able notice it. Nothing will escape your senses." I reply back with a smile.

"That's right, my dog ears can pick up the slightest sound that is out of the ordinary." Inuyasha replies with a matter of factly tone.

I let out a "hmph." But never losing my smile.

"Is something on your mind?" He asks me.

I stay focused on what is in front of me, how I wish I can see the world outside.

"Hey Inuyasha, can you tell me what it looks like outside?" I ask him.

"Ya." He simply replies.

His arm lets go of my waist and I hear the window open by the squeak of the hinges. I can feel the cool morning breeze coming through the window.

"The sky is clear, clear blue with a few white clouds. The birds fly over head and the trees are green and in full bloom." Inuyasha explains.

"How beautiful." I answer back roaming my eyes to the space in front of me.

"What's up?" Inuyasha asks me again.

"Let's go somewhere far Inuyasha, let's go spend some time outside the village, somewhere that's not at the cliff or cave. Somewhere where we can sit and let nature surround us, somewhere further than then the places that we are so use to. For today, what do you say?" I ask Inuyasha turning to face him.

"I do feel slightly stuffed staying in this village lately and not going out, let's go out then. If it's what you want then let's go." Inuyasha replies.

"Thanks." I respond with a nod.

I then feel his arms go over my head and wraps something around my waist, I lift my arms up in surprise. It takes me a second or two to realize that Inuyasha is tying the obi around me. After he finishes he rests his chin on my left shoulder, I can feel his right dog ear fluttering beside my head. I smile at the closeness of us. After dressing up Inuyasha and I head to the big hut to have breakfast with everyone, everyone is as lively as ever especially Shippo.

"Sango, Shippo, Inuyasha and I are going out today, we just want to let you know before we leave." I tell them.

"It's been a while since you have gone out of the village, especially since you've been recovering from your injuries. It will be nice for you and Inuyasha to go out and have some time together. Stay safe out there." Sango replies.

"Nothing's going to happen when I'm here. Carry on with your stuff, we'll see you guys around night time." Inuyasha adds.

I sigh and I reach my functional hand under the table and squeeze his arm, I feel Inuyasha flinch slightly and then he clears his throat. I show them a smile. After breakfast, Inuyasha takes my hand in his and guides us to the entrance of the village, Shippo tags along because he's going out to meet his fox friends.

"How are your friends?" I ask Shippo hearing his light feet walking on the grass.

"Great! They have become a part of a family almost." I hear Shippo reply with joy in his voice.

"That's wonderful, It's so nice to hear that Shippo." I say to him with a big smile.

"How do you not have a lover yet despite hanging with a big group of fox demons?" Inuyasha chimes in with an unexpected question.

"Inuyasha!" I slap him lightly on the arm.

"Shut up Inuyasha!" Shippo fires back with irritation.

"What? It was something to get a conversation going." Inuyasha replies flatly.

"There are better ways to start a conversation you know? Well to answer your question, I suppose time might figure that out." Shippo replies.

"Hopefully, alright. You better run off now, _ and I are going far. See you when we get back." Inuyasha says.

"Gotcha, be careful you two." Shippo says.

"We will, you as well Shippo." I say holding out my free hand which happens to be the dominant hand.

"Don't worry, you guys have fun." Shippo answers holding my hand in his.

Since I can't squeeze his hand back, I could only feel his. He then lets go and I hear him skipping away with the rustling of the grass, I smile as his presence fades.

"Guess we should get going to, where do you want to go?" Inuyasha asks me.

I turn to face him, the gentle spring breeze carries my stray hair around me.

"Wherever the wind takes us I suppose, just not somewhere too far." I say with a chuckle.

"Sure, hope on." Inuyasha answers back with a huff.

I sense him turning around and guiding the hand he's holding around his neck, his long hair tickles my bare arm, my shoulders goes up and as my arms go higher and close the distance and soon I feel his broad back. I wrap my other arm around his neck and I hold on tight, Inuyasha's arms hooks underneath my thighs. His body heat radiates and it feels so nice, I hold on tight.

"Here we go." He says.

"Go for it." I answer him back, resting my chin on his left shoulder.

The next thing, I feel the wind picks up and the grass rustling. The two of us dashes off to wherever, although I can't see but just to be able to feel and hear the world around me seems content. We travel for about an hour or so, way further than where we usually go to, I can hear birds above us and the rustling of trees in the distance. Inuyasha lets me down, my back feels a bit sore but I'm not going to complain because I want today to be filled with happiness. Inuyasha's hand naturally takes mine into his, I feel my heart becoming lighter. I rest my other hand on top of his, I know for some people, being together almost every minute of the day may seem tiring and annoying, but for me, being with Inuyasha is one of my greatest joy. I know that I need to rely on someone due to my disability, and I admit that. Inuyasha said that he will be that person because he loves me. I need him and love him just as much as he needs someone to help guide him out of the past and into the future, and I'm that person. Inuyasha guides us to a place that seemed different, the grass soon turned into branches and twigs. The warmth of the sunlight seem to fade slightly from my skin, and I can hear leaves rustling above us.

'Are we in a forest?' I ask him.

"Ya, it's different and serene, thought it might be nice to take a walk." Inuyasha answers back.

The bells of our necklace and bracelet chimes melodically in the open forest as we walked. Soon Inuyasha stops walking and I follow.

"Let's take a rest here." He says.

"Sure." I respond back with a nod.

Inuyasha guides me down and I sit on what I assume a tree root, I feel Inuyasha plop down beside me. We let each other's hands go to stretch out a bit, I hear Inuyasha yawn and groan. I close my eyes and take in a deep breath, how refreshing. The gentle breeze blows around us, the chirping of the birds can be heard from above us in the trees, rustling of the leaves is calming.

"Hope that wasn't too tiring for you." I say to Inuyasha.

"Well, it was't too bad but you were pretty heavy." Inuyasha says flatly.

I lower my eyelids in annoyance, I blow a raspberry at him and I sigh.

"Well I probably gained some weight because I have been recovering and not moving much lately." I reply back.

I then feel something hit against my knee and stays there, it's not heavy but it seems to be putting a bit of pressure, I put my hand down and then I feel silk strands. Hair?

"I'm just joking, humans are light especially for a demon like me. You're especially light." He responds back, his voice seem to be coming below.

I think he rested his head on my knee, I glide my hand carefully through his hair and I find his right cheek. I hold it in my palm and I feel him lean into my hand. The two of us just sit there for seconds, enjoying the nature around us, well more like listening and feeling for me. A question comes into my mind suddenly.

"Hey Inuyasha." I say his name softly.

"Ya?" He replies.

"Now that we are together, has the thought of starting a family crossed your mind? With me?" I ask him.

There is a brief silence, and then I feel Inuyasha's big hand take hold of the hand on his face and laces his fingers with mine.

"I know that I haven't let go of my past for long, and I did lock away that thought of wanting a family because I lost Kagome. Now that you came into my life, I want to believe again, I want to believe that a possibility of a family for me can become reality. With you, and a future of happiness." He tells me with a calm and collected voice.

" I'm happy to hear that Inuyasha, so happy. I want you to have a family and a bright future. I want you to have your wishes come true, even if it's just one." I tell him.

"I'm thankful for that_. Although we are together, I want to let you know that... I cannot marry you…" Inuyasha says with a solemn voice.

I blink in surprise and confusion, I squeeze his hand slightly.

"Why not?" I ask him with curiosity.

"If it's what you want, I'm sorry, if it's not what you want… I'm still sorry. The reason being, I'm still married to Kagome, even though she's gone. Kagome and I are still married, we did not divorce prior to her passing and as a priestess, a vow is eternal. Unless somehow that vow is broken by something spiritual. Kagome did tell me to move on, but she never said anything about our marriage. Kaede could have helped but she's gone. Before you came into my life, I didn't want that vow to end. Now, I want to move on, but I don't know how to break it. Although it's just a vow, but it means a lot more. If I want to marry you, I want that vow to be broken first, even if it's just someone of spiritual powers. I want them to tell me that Kagome and my eternal vow is nullified. I hope you can understand that." Inuyasha says resting his head back against my knee.

I smile and nod my head in understanding, although I love Inuyasha, but I know I can't force him to forget about Kagome and the past that they've shared. They were married with an eternal vow, although words, but there is a bond.

"I understand Inuyasha, I'll be alright with that. As long as you're with me, it's fine. Family doesn't necessarily have to be marriage, a long a you have the people you love with you is enough. You don't have to apologize for anything." I assure him.

"I love you_, but marriage is just one thing that I can't give you. Unless I can find someone of spiritual powers or divine powers." Inuyasha tells me.

"Don't worry, I'm content as it is." I reassure him.

I feel him gently burying his head into my lap as a dog would, I lower my eyes and glide my functional hand down his head feeling his dog ears along the way. I caress the top of his head with affection. I know that there are just some things that a person can't give up, and we should respect that, I should respect that. At least I know now that Inuyasha is ready to move forward and have a family. The two of us fall asleep together side by side for a good hour or so, I open my eyes, the birds are still chirping. I wonder what time it is, I can hear Inuyasha snoring lightly beside me. I smile at the faint warmth of his body. I want to get up and walk a bit, stretch out my back from sitting for an hour or two. I quietly get up as to not wake Inuyasha, I suppose I won't walk too far away since I can't see. I manage to find a long branch on the ground and I use it to guide me, like I use to have my walking stick. I walk through the forest, careful as to not trip on anything. After walking for a minute I put my hand on a tree and stop. I stretch my arms and smile as I inhale the fresh air, wish I can come out here more often. I can hear the birds chirping above, so melodic. After a few seconds, I can hear rustling above. The birds stops chirping and then flapping of wings, I turn around. I don't sense anyone.

"Inuyasha?" I call out.

No response, maybe it's an animal. I turn my body to get a good hear of my surrounding. Suddenly I hear fast footsteps coming towards me.

"_!" A voice shouts out.

"Inuyasha?" I reply back surprised.

I then feel a heavy presence coming down from above me, but before it could land on me someone scoops me up. The air picks up as I hold on.

"There's a demon, I'll place you somewhere safe and I'll kill it." Inuyasha's voice registers in my head.

I feel the air stop and then he lowers me down after a brief moment, I hold onto the stick as I sit on the ground. I'm a bit shocked at what is going on.

'A demon?!" I ask him worried.

"Don't worry, it's a small demon, I'll take it down in no time, just wait for me." He tells me kissing me on my forehead.

Before I can reply, I hear him run away, I could only stay here and wait. Inuyasha saved me again, and he's going to kill the demon. I hope it's not a dangerous one, my heart is beating fast as I worry. Minutes goes by, but I can't hear anything clearly. I can hear faint sounds in the distance, but the wind and rustling of leaves are preventing me to make out the sounds of Inuyasha. I close my eyes and I focus, blocking out everything else as I try to filter out and find Inuyasha. Suddenly, I hear a strained groan in the far distance. I open my eyes in shock, it sounded like Inuyasha. I stand up with a nearby tree as support.

"Inuyasha!" I shout his name in worry.

No reply, I then hear a hissing growl in the distance and then silence. I can hear my heartbeat through my ears, I hold tightly to the walking stick with my functional hand as I wait. I feel slightly frustrated that I can't see, frustrated that I can't get a grasp of the world or situation around me. After a few minutes, I hear rustling. I hold my walking stick up in defence, the rustling comes nearer by the second.

"Inuyasha?" I call out again.

The sound stops and then walking, two strong arms grabs onto my wrists. I twitched slightly in shock.

"_, I'm here. Don't worry, I'm here." The person says.

I hear the chimes of a bell, and it hits me that Inuyasha is in front of me alright. I drop my the stick and I hug him, his body warmth evident.

"Inuyasha, you're here. Are you alright? I hear a muffled groan, I thought it was you." I ask him worried.

I pull back and I feel his shoulders down to his arms hurriedly to see if there are any wounds, a part of me was worried for him so I didn't pay full attention to the inspection. But it seems like he's alright. I hold his face, my eyes wandering like crazy.

"I'm fine, I got rid of the demon, it's nothing I can't handle. Let's head back, the sun is starting to set. Are you alright?" Inuyasha asks me.

"I'm alright, thank you for saving me from the demon. Yea let's go back, I think we got enough fresh air today." I say with a sigh of relief.

I literally fall into Inuyasha as I hug him tightly, I don't want to lose him or his warmth. I feel him hug me back as he kisses the top of my head. He then helps me get on his back and the two of us head back to the village, the wind picks up but my heart is still pounding. I can't seem to calm down, what was that muffled groan. Was it Inuyasha? Something seem to be off, I wish I know what it is. I want to ask Inuyasha again, but he said he's fine. So I'll trust him. The grass rustles beneath us as we race against the sun back to village.


	19. A Close Call

We finally return back to the village a bit longer than when we got to the forest, Since I couldn't see, I could only listen. Inuyasha's breathing seem to be a bit heavy as he ran. He said he was fine, so I just assume that that fight with the demon worn him out slightly. I hold tightly to his hand as he guides the two of us to the big hut, I can hear talking as we near the entrance, Shippo and Sango's voices. I hear the curtain lift and then the smell of delicious food and warm atmosphere.

"You two are back, how was your day?" I hear Miroku asking us.

"It was alright for most of the time." I reply back with a sigh.

"Most of the time? What happened?" Sango asks concerned.

The two of us sits down at the table, Inuyasha guiding me down, I didn't let go of his hand the whole time.

"Well we had a leisure time, but then a demon ruined it. I got rid of it." Inuyasha replies.

"I see, I'm glad to see that you're both not hurt, get some rest afterwards. You two had a long day." Miroku says.

"Yea, especially for Inuyasha, he saved me and fought off the demon. I'm kind of worried about him to be honest, how is he?" I ask the others.

"Well, Inuyasha seems fine, you want us to body check him for any injuries?" Shippo asks.

"That would be great, please be my eyes." I nod.

"Don't you guys touch me, I'll bite you. I'm fine, leave me alone." Inuyasha grumbles.

I let out a frustrated sigh, but I let it go. We start eating, I tried my best to put my worries for Inuyasha off to the side. Afterwards, Inuyasha guides me back to our shared hut. I hear the wooden door open and Inuyasha leading me inside, the door closes and I let go of Inuyasha's hand. I hear him walk to the middle of the room and flop down onto the futon with the sound of the fabric shifting. I take off my kimono, and put on my night wear. I then walk to the centre of the room and find the futon with my feet, I then descend down and I can feel Inuyasha's presence in front of me. His breathing is slightly heavy.

"Inuyasha, you're breathing seems heavy, I'm worried." I tell him again.

"_, trust me I'm fine, I just ran a bit much today and overused my energy. I'll be fine in the morning, you worry too much. Let's get to bed." Inuyasha says taking my hand into his.

I noticed that his hand seems a bit colder than it was, now I'm even more worried. I squeeze his hand, and I sigh.

"Look Inuyasha, I'm going to tell you how I'm feeling right now truthfully. I'm worried Inuyasha, I'm very worried about you. After that fight with the demon, you seemed different, more tired, and now your hands are colder than how it was." I tell him.

"I know_ but really, I'm alright. I'm just a bit tired, a good night's rest will be alright." Inuyasha says assuring me.

I shake my head in disagreement.

"Inuyasha, I'm not just worried, I'm frustrated. I'm frustrated that I can't see, I'm frustrated that I couldn't help you against that demon. I'm frustrated that I can't see any injuries that you might have sustained. I'm frustrated at myself that I wondered off aimlessly because I couldn't see." I add on.

I feel Inuyasha's free hand on my cheek as he caresses it, I can feel faint warmth.

"I know how you feel, like I said, I'm fine. A good night's rest will be fine. I'll be good as new and back to the annoying demon that you know. Worrying too much isn't good for you. Now come on, our day off got ruined by that demon, so I would like the two of us to at least go to bed without and interruptions." Inuyasha tells me.

Inuyasha then pulls me into his broad chest, his long hair brushes against my face. I close my eyes and I hug him tightly. I can smell his scent as it fills my nose, I don't want to lose Inuyasha. I just hope that what he says will be right, he will wake up as the annoying jerk of a demon that I know, the demon that I fell in love with. Inuyasha descends the two of us down onto the soft futon, my arms are tight around Inuyasha's strong back. I take a deep breath and bury my face against his collar bone, I feel his big hands going down my back to comfort me. I let my mind empty out and slowly drift off, I can hear Inuyasha's steady snoring above me. It tells me that Inuyasha is alright and that he's just tired, it calms me down a bit. In time, I drift off. I don't know how much time has passed but I regain consciousness, I can faintly hear crickets outside chirping still. I suppose only a few hours or so has gone by, I can feel Inuyasha beside me, just how we were. I focus my hearing on his breathing, I furrow my brows as I listen. Something doesn't sound right, he sounds laboured. I bring my left hand up and put it underneath his nose, it feels slightly dry. The air coming out of his nose is weak, I then take his hand and feel them, slightly cold. My heart is starting to beat faster in worry.

"Inuyasha?" I call his name.

He doesn't respond, now I'm really worried. His snoring has stopped and he's breathing pretty fast, something is definitely not right. I prop myself up and push him onto his back gently and I shake him.

"Inuyasha? Inuyasha wake up!" I start to say louder.

I hear him groan, he sounds like he's in pain. I touch his face, he's sweating. I then slip my functional hand underneath his head and I pull him into my lap and I cradle him. My heart is beating loud and fast that I can hear it through my ears. I continue to shake him.

"Inuyasha wake up! What's wrong?!" I shout at him.

He isn't responding properly, my eyes are wandering around frantically. I feel up his arms and chest, I lift his sleeves up and feel his skin. I can't seem to find any kind of injury, no cuts or breaks in the skin. What is happening? I can't just stay here, I need to get Sango and Miroku. Inuyasha's a demon, this isn't right. I kiss him on the lips, and I gently lay him back down. I put the blanket back on him.

"I'm going to go get Sango and Miroku, hold on Inuyasha." I tell him with fear.

I kiss his hand and I get up, I feel the walls until I find the front door, I fling open the door and I go down the steps, almost tripping. Right now, my mind is an absolute mess. I need to help Inuyasha but I can't, only Sango and Miroku can. As I walk through the quiet village, my mind is in fear. I remember where Miroku and Sango's hut his, I have to occasionally stop and feel for my surroundings. Eventually I get there, or at least in the area.

"Miroku! Sango! I need your help!" I shout in the night.

I continue to shout, until I hear a wooden door opening on my far right.

"_? What's wrong? What happened?" Sango's voice surfaces as she takes hold of my arm.

"Sango, something's wrong with Inuyasha and I don't know what it is. He's sweating and he's shivering, his body temperature is dropping too!" I tell her frantically.

"It's alright_, let's go back and see what's going on. Sango take your time back with_, I'll go ahead." I hear Miroku say to us.

"Alright." Sango replies back.

I then hear Miroku's footsteps and his staff rattling as he walks away. I feel like crying, I feel Sango's comforting hands holding me.

"Come on_, let's go back to Inuyasha and see what's wrong with him." Sango tells me with a determined voice.

I nod my head in response, Sango then guides me back towards Inuyasha's hut. Since I have someone here beside me, it's much faster. Our footsteps crunches on the sandy ground, then it turns into wood. I put my hand against the wooden exterior of the hut, and I hear Sango open the door. It feels warm slightly, I assume Miroku lit some candles. I can hear fabrics rustling.

"Miroku, what's wrong with Inuyasha?" Sango asks me.

She helps me sit on the futon, I put my hands out in front of me and I feel rough long hair. I then feel up the hair and I feel soft dog ears, I caress them knowing that's Inuyasha. My heart aches knowing that he isn't responding, but I can hear his heavy breathing.

"I took off his kimono and checked his body, it looks like he got bitten by something on his right forearm. He seems to be poisoned by the symptoms. They look like a bite of a snake." Miroku tells us.

"That stubborn dog, he hid it from us." Sango sighs.

Why didn't he tell me? And us? Why didn't he tell me that he was bitten? Why did he hide it from me? Whatever the reason may be, I'm more mad at myself. I'm mad at myself that I couldn't see the bite and his symptoms. I feel a tear fall from my face.

"It's alright_, I'm sure Inuyasha will pull through it. He is a demon after all, it doesn't seem like whatever bit him is normal, it must be the demon that he fought. The poison is moving up his arm and has reached almost to his chest area, we need to remove the poison as soon as possible." Miroku tells us again.

"How can we remove the poison in him by ourselves, it will take forever." I ask him.

"I think this is a situation that we need to call for Myoga." Sango says.

"Myoga?" I ask them confused.

"Yes He's a demon. I'll go get Shippo and ask him to get Myoga." Miroku says.

I hear him get up with his staff chiming, and then walking out of the hut. I lean down and kiss Inuyasha' forehead, he is still sweating, his breath is laboured but he's still alive.

"Keep your faith_, Myoga will be able to remove the majority of the poison from Inuyasha's body. The rest will be up to Inuyasha himself to fight it off. We just have to hold on till Myoga gets here." Sango tells me taking my hand.

"Really? What kind of demon is Myoga?" I ask her concerned.

"Myoga is a flea demon, and like what fleas do, they suck blood. Myoga will be able to suck out the blood containing the poison in his bloodstream, and then hopefully Inuyasha's body will be able to produce new blood and wash out the remaining poison." Sango explains to me.

I nod my head in understanding, Sango lets go of my hands and I find Inuyasha's big hands. I hold them with my functional hand, they were slightly limp. I squeeze them and I can feel him squeezing back very very softly, it tells me that he's fighting it. Sango and I try our best to make Inuyasha feel comfortable as we wait for Myoga, time passes. I feel my mind going numb slightly but I know I can't sleep, the man that I love is fighting for his life. Besides, Sango, Miroku, and Shippo are doing what they can to help save Inuyasha, something that I can't really help with because of my lost of sight. How I hated myself for that, I got Inuyasha into this situation because of my blindness. Sango and I try our best to keep Inuyasha comfortable and what we can to extract the poison in his system, although it's mostly Sango doing the work. I can hear Inuyasha's heavy breathing, The most that I can do is hold his hand and assist Sango with the easy things. Time goes by but I can't see the sun rising, my mind feels numb but I can't sleep. How can I when Inuyasha is in this state. Hours goes by I assume, when I hear footsteps outside.

"Sango, I think someone is here." I say to her.

"Must be Miroku, hopefully Myoga is here." Sango says getting up.

She lets out a tired groan as she stands up, after sitting and kneeling for so long, your legs will go numb. I hear her walk to the door and open it up, I stand up as well. I hear the chimes of metal, it must be Miroku's staff.

"Miroku you're back, Myoga it's good to see you again." I hear Sango say.

Myoga is here? Is it true.

"Nice to see you again Sango, Miroku and Shippo had told me what has happened to Inuyasha, that stubborn dog." An unfamiliar voice says with a tongue click.

I analyzed his voice, Myoga sounds old but his voice is high and rasp. A bit airy almost as if he's not even there, very light and bouncy. I then hear light thuds coming closer and stopping in front of me.

"You must be_." The voice says below me.

I lower my head and my eyes wonder around.

"Nice to meet you Lord Myoga." I say with a bow.

"No need to bow to me, Inuyasha is my master, I'm just a flea demon." Myoga says with kindness in his voice.

"Thank you for coming here, please save Inuyasha, help us remove the poison." I beg him.

"You don't need to ask, Sango, Miroku, Shippo, and you_, go rest, I'll handle it from here." Myoga says.

"Thank you Myoga, let us know when it's done." Miroku says.

"Will do." Myoga replies.

"I'm going to stay, Inuyasha and I share this place together now." I tell him.

"Watch over Inuyasha_,Give him a good scolding when he recovers." Sango says to me.

I nod, I then hear the three of them walk out and the door close. I sit back down and I find Inuyasha's hand again.

"_, if you don't mind, can you open up Master Inuyasha's kimono covering his chest, I will suck out the blood closest to his heart." Myoga says.

"Of course." I reply back immediately.

I glide my hand on Inuyasha's chest until I find the collar of his kimono and open it up, I can barely feel his body heat anymore.

"Thank you_. I will be done soon." Myoga assure me.

I nod, I then hear him lightly land on Inuyasha and then a very light sound of puncture, then sucking sounds. It is rhythmic and consistent, like drinking liquid. I have no idea how big Myoga is but his power is strong, well he is a demon so it shouldn't be surprising. After about a minute or two the sucking stops, I then feel something touch my hand, I pull back upon instinct. It felt like fabric.

"Myoga are you alright?" I ask him.

I feel the air in front of me shift slightly, movements. Then a groan and a burp.

"Yes, I'm alright and full. I never get old of drinking canine blood." Myoga says almost as if he's about to explode and slightly tipsy.

"Please don't over stuff yourself, how is Inuyasha? How long will it be till he recovers?" I ask him.

"Well I sucked out the majority of his blood containing the poison, I didn't suck him completely dry so he won't die. As a demon, Inuyasha should be able to produce more blood and recover quickly, the majority of the poison are gone so his immune system should be able to flush out the remaining poison. It will be about another day or two." Myoga tells me.

"Thank you Myoga, thank you so much!" I tell him with a bow.

"No thanks are needed, keeping Inuyasha safe was my job, but it looks like you have taken that place. Even though it was Kagome at first." Myoga says.

I lower my gaze, and I sigh.

"Yes, It was Kagome, Inuyasha went through a lot of pain and sadness after she passed. After meeting Inuyasha, I wanted to understand him." I go on to explain.

"He must have been a tough nut to crack." Myoga says with a chuckle.

"Indeed he was, but I managed, and along the way of that process, I fell in love with him. Inuyasha says that he let his past go and now loves me back." I tell him with a smile.

"Yes, Inuyasha is as stubborn as can be, but to hear that he has moved on from his past and opened up his heart again must have taken a lot of effort and time." Myoga tells me with kindness in his voice.

"Time was a given, but I never saw it as bothersome. It was a task I took up to help Inuyasha, but after falling in love with Inuyasha I never saw it as a task anymore, it was me trying to understand him on an emotional level and try to help him find happiness again. I'm glad that I succeeded." I say reminiscing the past.

"To imagine Inuyasha to fall in love with another human, you must be special." He says.

I shake my head.

"There's nothing special about me, I'm pretty normal. Besides I put him in this situation" I tell him with a chuckle.

"On the outside maybe, but if you can pull a demon out from his own despair, that is more than special. I noticed that you are unable to see as your eyes wonder around. A lost of sense can make a person become incapable of something, but you are able to carry on through life as if nothing happened. Of course, with struggles but seems as if it's just a normal thing. That, is admirable. You did not put Inuyasha in this situation, the demon may have been waiting the whole time. I'm glad to know that it wasn't you who was bitten by the snake demon, if it was you, I can't imagine the pain and lost that Inuyasha will go through again. As a demon, Inuyasha was able to withstand the poison for a long duration, long enough to get help and remove the poison. If it was you, you would have died within minutes. Just now that Inuyasha is out of the dark now. " Myoga assure me.

I raise my head and let my eyes wonder around again, I can't help but smile. I suppose I should see that about myself, a strong person with a strong will. I suppose Myoga is right, if it was me, I would have put Inuyasha in more pain and the feeling of lost again. I don't want that.

"Thank you, I just wish that I can see Inuyasha's face again. I remember when I saw his face years before, his golden amber eyes were so bright and vivid, they were beautiful. His long white hair and dog ears made him special. Until his stinky attitude made him less attractive, until I knew why. I can only remember the distinct details of Inuyasha, but not his face. I just wish that I can see him again, have my sight back." I tell him with an nostalgic tone.

I hear Myoga sigh.

"Thank you for dealing with Inuyasha's feral attitude, and not giving up on him. Please take care of Inuyasha for the years to come. I wish that you can regain your sight again one day in the future, but if not, do not be sad. What you don't have, others makes up for it. Not being able to see, you can feel genuine feelings from the other person. Never see the things that you are missing as something of a demise, but instead be thankful because of all the other things that you do have. Please look after Inuyasha_, I have to move around a bit and get my digestive system working to digestive all this blood. Do you mind helping me get to the door?" Myoga says with groan.

"Thank you for the talk Myoga, and of course." I reply back with a smile.

I then reach down to find Myoga, and I met with a ball shaped form. I raise my eyebrows in surprise.

"Myoga is this…." I start out.

"Yes, I have bloated up, if you can just…roll me to the door that will be great." Myoga says with a chuckle.

I smile at the realization, I then use my two hands to push, or in this case, roll Myoga towards the door with him guiding me. I open the wooden door for him and I give him a push, I hear him bounce down the stairs.

"Thank you again Myoga!" I give him a shout.

"No thank needed, take care." He responds back.

I then hear him bounce away, I can't help but let out a chuckle. I close the door and I return back to Inuyasha, I listen to him. His breathing has slowed down, becoming more quiet. But I know he's alive, and he's recovering. I take hold of his hand again with my functional one, he's still slightly cold, but I can feel a weak pulse. I bring his hand up and I kiss the back of his hand gently, I sit there and I wait. Eventually I feel fatigue take over me, so I lay down beside Inuyasha after covering him up again. I rest my forehead against his left shoulder and I close my eyes that has been open for hours. I let out a sigh and my heart slightly aches, it aches knowing that Inuyasha was in danger hours ago. I keep the hope and faith that Inuyasha will be back to himself again in no time, I let my hand glide along his long hair. Slightly rough and not as smooth as it was when he's healthy. Although It's been a day but it felt like forever, I miss his voice and his warmth. Eventually my thoughts overtake my mind and I fall asleep.


	20. Moment Of Desperation, Moment Of Clarity

I can feel the warmth of the sunlight faintly in the room, I open my eyes but as always I can't see anything. I feel frustration filling my mind, I want to see. I blink a few times to try and regain my senses, the moment that I do, the person that I love comes to mind. I use my hands and feel the space beside me, It's empty. I prop myself up and my mind goes blank.

"Inuyasha?" I call out.

I feel the futon around me, but I don't feel anything except for the cool silk fabric. The room is only so big, I call his name again, no response. Although I don't know where he is, I don't feel his presence at all in the room as I take a moment to listen to any breathing or movements. I get up and my breath slightly hitches, I find the bell bracelet that I took off and tie it back onto my wrist. Changing into my kimono isn't my main priority right now, Inuyasha is. I get up and I find the wooden walls of the hut, I then follow it until I find the door. I open it up and I can feel the warm Spring sunlight hit my face and hands, the air is still slightly chilly though. I carefully walk down the steps and I begin to wonder around the gravel filled ground.

"Inuyasha? Where are you?!" I call out into the open nature.

I continue to walk around, I head towards the big hut, or at least I think I am because I didn't think where I was going when I started walking. I can hear people talking in the far distance, the area where our hut is is far from the heart of the village. I continue to walk around and calling out to Inuyasha, after a few minutes of walking I stop. I realize that by walking around won't get me anywhere or to Inuyasha if he's not here, I want to see, oh how I wish that I can see. I'm starting to panic a little, what if something happened to Inuyasha? What if he never woke up? Did the others came in while I was deep asleep and took him away when they realized that he didn't wake up? Why am I thinking of that? I know Inuyasha is strong enough to pull through this, but I can't help but think that something might have happened. I close my eyes and I lower my head, I let out a big sigh. I feel tears slowly forming,I have to find Sango and Miroku. I don't know where I should go… I feel completely lost right now. I miss Inuyasha's hand holding mine and guiding me, I miss the warmth of his skin. I take a step forward and then another, the day haven't even started and my heart is already in pain and confusion, clouded in sadness and melancholy. I suddenly hear something out of the blue in the far distance, I stop and turn my head to the side so my left ear faces the back. I furrow my brows and focused, it sounds like….chimes? My eyebrows lifts up as I try to listen to it more. The sound seems to be coming closer and closer, it's clear at this point, bell chimes. I turn my body completely around and my eyes begin to wonder frantically to try and pinpoint where it's coming from, could it be?

"Inuyasha?!" I shout out again in desperation.

I then hear the sound of the bell chime coming closer and footsteps, I put my arms out as I try to touch something in front of me hoping it to be him.

"_!" A voice calls out.

My eyes widen as I recognize the voice that registered after a few seconds.

"Inuyasha! Where are you!?" I call out again.

My hands are out in front of me as I try to find the person that I long for so much, I walk towards the sound of the bell as it chimes nonstop from movements. No sooner, I feel big warm hands taking hold of mine in theirs. I stop in my tracks and I then feel my body falling against someone's broad chest, warmth surrounds me and the silk fabrics of clothing touches my skin. I hold my breath as I feel their hands letting go of me after pulling me into them and holds me to them, I can feel thick hair brushing against my face. The chimes of the bell is right above me.

"Thank goodness you stopped, I was calling to you in the distance. You were about to walk into a tree." His deep blunt voice says.

I let go of the breath that I held, I can feel my heart dropping as relief wash over me. Tears starts to come out of my eyes, I feel my legs give way and I descend towards the ground without knowing. As I fall, strong arms holds me and descend with me as I touch the ground. I bury my head against his chest as he holds me close to him, I grab hold of his silk kimono in the palm of my functioning hand.

"You're alright Inuyasha, thank goodness you're alright." I say while crying.

I feel Inuyasha rest his cheek against the side of my head, he then pulls me onto his lap and holds me affectionately. I feel safe again, I can feel him again.

"Of course I'm alright, I'm a demon remember? I'm not going to die that easily. Sorry for worrying you just now, I went to go see Sango and the others. You were sleeping so I didn't want to wake you, I thought that I would just tell them and come straight back but guess I took too long." He says.

"No, you don't need to apologize for that Inuyasha, I was so scared when I found out that you were gone, I thought that something might have happened. I should have believed that you would be alright, that you were going to recover completely, because you're Inuyasha. I should be the one that should apologize to you, I placed you in a near death situation, because of me you got bitten. I'm so sor…" I say to him.

I feel softness coming in contact with my lips with pressure, warm and caressing. I realize that Inuyasha is kissing me, my eyes are wide at the suddenness. Inuyasha's left hand comes up and holds my face as he kisses me deeply, our lips part from each other slowly and he brushes a lock of my hair away from my face. My breathing has become heavy.

"I wouldn't let anything hurt you, I would jump in front of danger to protect you. I can't stand losing you_, I would rather die than see you hurt, you have been through enough already, so don't apologize." He tells me affectionately.

I can feel my eyes wondering side to side as I listen to him, I feel overwhelming love.

"I was so scared of losing you, I never felt so useless. You got bit my a snake demon and I couldn't even feel the bite marks on your skin, I couldn't see how much you were in pain until it was too late." I tell him crying.

"I know, and I apologize. Don't feel useless, you saved me, you realized that I was going to die and went to go get help. I feel bad and stupid for not telling you about it because I didn't want you to worry about me, and I thought that it wasn't anything too serious, I was confident enough that my body would get rid of any venom. Turns out I was wrong, and I'm sorry for that." Inuyasha apologizes to me again.

"That's all I want from you, I don't want you to hide anything from me. If you're stuck or suffering from something I want you to tell me, I want to help you I want to be there for you like you have for me. So promise me Inuyasha, don't hold things in anymore. I don't want to lose you Inuyasha…" I tell him.

"Neither do I_, I don't want to lose you too. I promise, I won't keep things anymore. Stop crying now alright? Your eyes and face are all red, it doesn't suit you." Inuyasha says wiping my tears from my face.

I take him hand in mine and I pout slightly, he's trying to lighten up the mood. I rest my head at the base of his neck, I can feel the long locks of his hair that frames his face brushing against my face. He rests his chin against my temple and he holds me close to him, his warmth envelops me completely, how I missed this feeling. I feel so tired all of sudden, I know I fell asleep but I don't think I slept properly because of my worries and fear. I think Inuyasha sensed it, I feel his right arm holding my back and his other hooking underneath my legs. He then stands up and holds me close.

"Let's go back home, you look like you could use a good rest." He tells me quietly.

"What about you? Don't you need rest to recover as well?" I ask him back.

"I don't know if I need to, but I think I would like to enjoy some time alone with my love that I haven't seen in 2 days almost. Let's go home." He says kissing my temple.

"Let's go home." I reply back.

I can hear Inuyasha and my bell chiming simultaneously as he walked. I don't feel hungry, I don't care what I look like right now. I have Inuyasha here with me again and that's all that matters, the rhythmic steps of Inuyasha feels hypnotic. After a while I feel him walking up onto the wooden platform, then him opening a door, the sunlight soon disappears and it becomes quiet. I then hear the door closing and Inuyasha walks to the middle of the room, I can hear the silk futon shifting. Inuyasha then descends the two of us down and lowers me gently, he then takes my hand in his and guides me to lie back down onto the softness. I can sense him lying down beside me as well. I turn onto my side to face him, I can smell the faint scent of him beside me. I feel so tired, I close my eyes but I want to stay awake I want to be with Inuyasha for a while longer. I hold his hand tightly with my single hand, I then feel him coming close and his nose brushes against mine affectionately. I use my other free hand and I reach up to find his dog ears, and I do. Furry and leathery, it flutters as I touch it. I smile.

"What are you doing?" He asks me confused.

"I just want to make sure that it's really you, that I'm not dreaming or it's someone else in front of me with your voice or something like that. I could be losing my mind right now and I won't even be able to tell because I'm blind." I say to him with sigh and a smile.

"Geez, you're not going out of your mind, it's really me. I'm here and I'm here to stay for a another good 100 years or even more, I'm not going to abandon you or leave you again. So rest easy." He tells me pulling me into his chest.

"I'll pray for that, I pray that I can be with you for as long as I live." I whisper to him as I rest my face in his kimono.

"You will, get some rest. No wonder you're becoming ditzy, you must have bee exhausted worrying about me. I'm alright now." He assures me.

I nod and I close my eyes, this feeling, everything is back to normal now. Soon, I doze off again. No worries or fear anymore. I regain consciousness slowly my head feels slightly woozy, I guess I overslept but it looked like my body needed to replenish my lack of sleep and stress from the day before. I prop myself up and I hold my head, I widen my eyes slightly to try and find my senses again, I then feel the space beside me. Nothing.

"Inuyasha?" I whisper out inside the room.

My hearing is slightly muffled due to my senses being off balance at the moment, I begin to wonder if I'm dreaming, if I dreamt that Inuyasha recovered. I begin to wonder if I'm dreaming now. I sigh and lower my head as I hold it, suddenly I feel a presence behind me. A pair of arms encircles around me and I feel silk hair brushing against my cheeks as something rests next to my head, I can feel soft breathing beside me. The suddenness surprised me and I gasp slightly, but then a familiar scent fills my nose as I turn my head to face who or what is resting next to me.

"Inuyasha?" I ask this person who's holding me.

"Yea, you're awake. I thought you were going to sleep till the next day." I hear his voice.

I feel my heart relaxing finally, a rush of anxiety leaving my body and I feel lighter. I turn my body to face him, and I lift both of my hands to touch his face, when I find his smooth warm face I could only hold his face with my functional hand. I smile at him, I can feel both of his hands come up and holds mine with his big warm ones.

"Am I dreaming still? Are you really alright now?" I ask him trying to make sure.

"Guess you did overslept, your head is becoming a bit woozy? Don't worry, I'm better, I'm alright now, so don't worry about me anymore_. You're not losing me that easily and I won't leave you that easily either." I hear him assure me caressing my face.

I nod my head and I take a deep breath, I close my eyes to find my composure. I then feel warm lips coming in contact with mine, it caresses my lips and I open my eyes in surprise once again. Inuyasha is kissing me, Inuyasha is a rash person but this kiss contains tenderness and love. I return the kiss, a gesture of how much we've missed each other. Our lips finally part after while and we rest our foreheads together, Inuyasha softly nuzzles his nose with mine, his rough bangs pressed against my forehead tickles.

"What time is it now?" I ask him.

"It's evening now, I think Sango is making dinner right now. You hungry?" He answers me.

"I'm alright, but I think going out for a walk would be nice, we've been cooped up in here for a while. I suppose I should go see Sango and Miroku too." I say.

"Let's go do that." Inuyasha replies with an energetic voice.

He doesn't sound like someone who was poisoned, he sounds just like the Inuyasha that I know and love, the demon that I love. Inuyasha pulls me up and smoothing out my night wear, he takes my hand and we head to the big hut. When we exit out of the hut, the cool evening spring air touches my skin and I feel refreshed. Our feet crunches on the gravel as we walked, Inuyasha's big hands holding mine in his, and I feel safe again. Soon we arrive at the hut, I can smell food and voices inside. The curtain rustles and Inuyasha guides me inside.

"_'s up, guess we're on time for dinner." Inuyasha says.

"_, Inuyasha, you're here. Indeed, dinner is ready, both of you need to replenish your health. It has been a long two days, come sit." I hear Sango's warm voice saying.

Inuyasha guides me to the table and we both sit down, I hear bowls being set down on the wooden table with a gentle clinks.

"Let's eat." I hear Miroku say.

"Yes! I'm starving!" Shippo says with excitement.

"Thank you for all your help, where is Myoga by the way?"I say to them.

"Myoga went back home." Inuyasha replies.

"Ah… wish he stayed and ate dinner with us." I say a little bit disappointed not being able to get to know him better.

We all eat dinner together, although it's only been a few days since we ate together, but it felt like forever. How not having one person here can change so much in one's daily routine, I begin to understand what it felt like for Inuyasha when he lost Kagome. After we finish dinner, we had tea together and caught up a little bit about what happened in the past day or so. An hour or so goes by and we bid Miroku, Shippo, and Sango goodnight. Inuyasha guides me outside of the hut, my face feels warm but the cool air of the night feels soothing.

"How about going to the cliff and have some alone time for a bit?" I hear Inuyasha ask me.

I smile and I feel my eyes wondering around, I nod my head in agreement.

"I'd love that." I reply back giving his big war hand a squeeze.

I then feel him letting my hand go slightly and putting my arm around his neck, and he hooks his arms under my legs and he lifts me up onto his back. I was taken off guard but I hold onto him, I rest my chin on his left shoulder. His long fringes tickles my cheek and I can hear light whoosh of his dog ears above me.

"Hold on tight." I hear him say to me.

"I'll try with my one functional hand." I reply back with a chuckle.

I hear him blow a raspberry, then I feel the wind pick up. I hear his breathing next to me as he runs, my hair tickles my face and I can hear the rustling of our kimonos and the chimes of the bells on my wrist and around his neck. I close my eyes and I let the quietness and the cool wind surround me, I don't know how long time has passed, but the momentum slowing down and the wind stopping makes me open my eyes again. I can hear the grass below Inuyasha's feet as he walks, after a few seconds he stops. He sets me down gently, and I can hear the wind moving across the land.

"Are we here?" I ask him.

"Ya, come on let's go sit on top of the tree branch." He says taking my hand.

"On the tree branch?" I ask him surprised.

"Ya? You don't want to?" He asks me.

"No, not at all. I just didn't expect you to ask me something like that since I was the one that is always at at the bottom while your on the tree branch." I reply back with a chuckle.

"Ya I suppose it was wasn't it? Well it's not like that anymore, come on." He says.

He guides me to what I assume the bottom of the tree, he then hooks his arms under my legs and behind my back and I hook my left arm around his neck. I then feel him lower slightly and then jumping into the air, I close my eyes as I feel the air pushing down against me and gravity trying to pull me down. Although it is trying to pull me down, Inuyasha continues to go higher. He then lands on something and I can hear the rustling of leaves, which I realized that we are on the tree branch now. He lowers me down carefully and holds my hand again, he guides me to the left. I feel like I'm stuck and I can't move, because I can't see. I can't seem to take a step forward or to the side. I start to become frustrated as I feel Inuyasha gently pulling me.

"I can't Inuyasha, I can't take a step, I don't know how wide the branch is. I might fall." I say to him.

"It's alright, I'm here, just trust me. I'm here to guide you remember? I won't let you fall." He assures me.

"I know Inuyasha, I trust you. I just don't know if I trust myself." I tell him with a sigh.

"Trust yourself, I'll describe everything to you. The tree trunk isn't far it's only 4 steps away." He tells me.

I take a deep breath and I close my eyes, I nod my head.

"The branch is right in front of you, it's a pretty big tree so don't worry. Just balance yourself and take steps forward, don't overthink too much, I'll guide you." He tells me taking hold of my other hand.

I listened and step forward, and he was right. My foot lands on solid surface and it's the tree branch. One step after another until Inuyasha tells me to stop.

"Good job, let's sit down." He tells me squeezing my hand gently.

I nod, he shifts me slightly to the side and guides the two of us to sit down on the branch, he holds my hand tightly and helps me keep my balance. After I sit down on the branch, I feel Inuyasha pull me into him gently. My back leans against his back as he wraps his strong arms around me, his body heat envelops me completely and I feel loved. My feet dangles off the side of the branch, I can hear Inuyasha's breathing next to me. We don't talk and instead we just leaned against the tree trunk and let the sound of the night surround us, and each other's presence. I want to see, I want to see what it is like right now. This place is so special to Inuyasha, it was a place that he wanted to bring Kagome to and instead he brought me here. Because he loves me now, he wanted to show me all the places that is important to him because he couldn't for the woman that he loved before me. I've been here many times already but today seem so special, but unfortunately… I can't see. I feel so frustrated, and I feel desperate now. I wished at this moment so bad to be able to see, I close my eyes and I asked myself. I know I always wanted to regain my vision, how I told myself that this is something that I will have to live with for the rest of my life. But, can I be selfish just this once, can I just wish for this one thing. I open my eyes slowly and with frustration and desperation, I open my mouth.

"Inuyasha… I want to see…" I say quietly into the night.


	21. Blind Faith and Hope

There's a brief moment of silence from both of us, I take a deep breath, the air feels cool and refreshing but my heart feels heavy. I want to say it again, my wish to see but I know it's impossible. I keep my mouth closed and close my eyes as frustration takes over me again. I then hear gentle chimes behind me, Inuyasha's arms holds me tightly to him and I feel him rest his left cheek next to mine. His bangs tickles my face and I can feel his dog ear fluttering next to my head, his breathing is so evident next to me. His body warmth overwhelms me and I feel so safe and loved. I lean back against him and rest my functional hand on top of his.

"I know that you desperately want to see, and I want you to see too_. I want to see your eyes actually looking into mine for once. I just don't know if it's possible." Inuyasha says quietly next to me.

"I understand, I don't think demons' can grant my wish." I reply back with a depleted sigh."

Silence, the sound of the crickets fills my senses. But then I feel Inuyasha lift his face away from mine, I turn my head to face him.

"Inuyasha?" I say his name.

"Demons… celestial….gods… Gods… That might be it." Inuyasha's voice says with more confidence.

"Huh?" I say furrowing my brows.

"Gods, if we can find a god or goddess, than perhaps they can grant your wish." Inuyasha says with hope in his voice.

My eyes goes wide in surprise. That's right, if demons exist, then perhaps gods do as well. Demons may be more out in the open than gods. I feel slight hope ignite deep within me, perhaps a god can be my only chance. My heart begins to beat faster at that thought that I just might be able to regain back something, I put one of my hand over my chest to calm myself down, I can feel my cheeks becoming warmer. I feel gentle lips kissing my left temple and I turn my head to the left in surprise, the next thing I know, the same pair of lips caresses my own. I close my eyes as I take in the scent of Inuyasha and the intimateness of the kiss. We finally part after a few seconds, I can feel his warm breath lingering next to my face. I smile and rest my forehead against his cheek.

"Let's search for some information tomorrow, I'm determined to give you your wish. You gave up a lot for me and helped me through a lot, it's time for me to return the favour." I hear him say.

I shake my head slowly.

"No Inuyasha, you don't owe me anything, everything that has happened to me was due to my own actions. I helped you because I wanted to, I did it because I love and care for you. I don't want either of us to feel like we owe each other anything. So don't do this for me because you feel that way." I tell him.

"I don't feel that way, like what you said, I'm doing this because I love you too, I don't want to see you suffer and hopelessly wishing for something that you so longed for. If I'm capable of giving it to you, I will." Inuyasha replies.

I nod in response, I feel his arms tightening gently around me as he holds me to him, the warmth of his body radiating and seeping into me. After staying up in the tree and in the open field for an hour or so, Inuyasha brought us back down and he piggybacked me back to our hut. I hear his footsteps as he walks up the wooden platform into the hut. The chirps of the crickets soon disappear from the night as the door closes behind us, Inuyasha then gently lowers me down. The solid wood touches my feet and I find my grounding. I then hear matches being lit and the flickering sounds of the candles. I can hear Inuyasha's bell chiming as he comes walking back towards me, I smile as I feel him take my hand. His big warm hands wraps around my functional one, I squeeze his hand back as my bracelets chimes along with the movements of us walking towards the futon. We sit down and I go to take off of my outer wear, but then I feel Inuyasha's hand stopping me.

"What are you doing?" He asks me with a chuckle.

I blink in confusion.

"Uhm, I'm taking off my kimono so I can switch into my night wear." I reply back to him.

"Well, unless you want to change into your kimono and go out again then sure go for it, but you don't need to take off your night wear." He says.

Huh? Change into my kimono? I then feel the fabric of my outfit, then it hits me. I didn't change this morning because I was so busy trying to find Inuyasha and wondering if he was alright or not. I have been in my nightwear the whole day and no one told me, I feel my face going warm. I cover my face with my hands in embarrassment.

"I almost went bare in front of you." I reply back with a groan.

I hear Inuyasha chuckle and his big hands pulling my hands away from my face, I raise my head up and let my eyes wonder around.

"It's fine, it's nothing to be embarrassed about, besides it's not like we haven't seen each other nude before. Well…you haven't seen me bare but I have." He tells me.

I smile at his words. He's right, we've made love already, I have felt his warm skin against mine and him in the most deepest part. I cradle his hands between my own.

"You're right Inuyasha, I was so out of it today that I didn't have time to change." I say with a sigh.

His right hand comes up and caresses my cheek lovingly.

"I completely understand, and I'm grateful. Ever since we met again after that bad first encounter, you have been there for me and helped me more than you know. I don't care what you wear or what you look like, I'm in love with your heart and your personality and will. In fact, I want to feel your bare skin against mine tonight as we sleep. I miss being this close beside you even though it has only been a day or so." Inuyasha says his voice becoming softer as he says the last few words.

I listen to every one of his words and I feel my heart becoming light and I smile as I'm overcome with longing and love for him.

"I want that too, I want to fall asleep with your skin against mine. I want to make sure that you are here with me with your warmth embracing me." I reply back to him with a nod and a smile.

"Good, let's get to bed." He says.

I nod. I then feel him going for my wrist and untying the bell bracelet that I made, the bell chimes as it leaves my wrist. I hear him placing it on the ground and then his hands going to my sash and unties it as well, I don't feel embarrassed or nervous because I know tonight isn't a night for us to share our bodies with each other. We just want to feel each other's physical body and warmth. I feel the sash sliding away from under my arms and then his hands taking hold of my collar and gently opening it up. The slight cold air hits my skin and I can feel goosebumps rising on my skin, The nightwear slides off of my shoulders and pools around my elbows. I raise my hands up to find him, and I eventually do as I touch his strong chest. With my functional hand I find the cord that holds his kimono together and I pull it open with the support of my other hand. I fold the cord up and place it beside me and I open up his kimono. I can feel his long hair brushing against the skin of my hands along with the warmth. Inuyasha then pulls me into him and now we're skin against skin flush, The bell on his neck rings next to my ear, Inuyasha rests his chin onto my shoulder as he holds me. I wrap my arms around his neck and I untie the knot of his necklace, I then place it beside the futon. Inuyasha then pushes the two of us back slowly until my back touches the cool silk fabric of the futon, I shiver slightly. Inuyasha's hair falls onto my arm and brushes along the side of my stomach as he lowers himself on top of me. I feel him brushing aside my hair from my face and placing a kiss on my forehead, he then nuzzles my nose with his. I giggle at the sweet and cute gesture, the faint swooshing sound of his dog ears can be heard above me.

"Goodnight love." I say to him.

"Goodnight _." He replies.

He then slides himself off of me and rests beside me on my right, he pulls the futon cover over the two of us. I feel so at peace right knowing that Inuyasha is back. I snuggle into his embrace and in no time I fall asleep. We're going to search for a way for me to regain my sight, we will try to at least. When I come to, I feel a bit out of it. Guess I overslept, but I feel calm. I can feel warmth and rhythmic breathing above me. I'm still in Inuyasha's embrace. How nice this feels, I don't want to get up but I feel like I should. I can feel the faint sunlight from the window telling me it's indeed morning, I carefully sit up and hold the blanket over my naked body as I stretch. I take in a deep breath, how refreshing. As I try to get up and let Inuyasha sleep, I feel a large hand placing over mine and I stop moving.

"Where are you going?" I hear Inuyasha's low voice asking me.

"Good morning Inuyasha. I'm not going anywhere, I just got up." I tell him with a smile.

I then feel him shift on the futon and then his hair brushing against my arm as I feel him nuzzle up against my arm with his forehead. He still sounds like he's still sleepy, I can feel his head resting on the back of my hand and his ears fluttering. I use my functional hand and glide my fingers through his thick long hair, I smile.

"You're just like a dog, a cute dog who's showing affections to its owner." I chuckle.

"I'm a dog demon not an actual dog thank you very much, but I don't mind cuddling up to the person that I love." He replies back to me.

I stop stroking his head and I lean down and I rest my head lightly on his, I can hear his breathing loud and clear and the leather skin of his dog ears.

"I love you too Inuyasha, I don't care if you are a human, or a demon, or a dog. I will show you the affections and love that you need to feel like you again." I assure him.

"Thank you_. Let's go and find information on a god or goddess and ask them to help you regain your sight. We'll start today." Inuyasha tells me confidently.

"Ya." I respond back nodding my head.

We then get out of bed and Inuyasha helps me get my kimono and tie the bell bracelet back onto my wrist. We wash up and go meet up with Miroku, Sango and Shippo. As always the big hut is lively and comforting, this place has become my home. The smell of breakfast fills my senses and the company of them.

"How was a good night's rest?" Miroku asks me.

"It was good, both Inuyasha and I got a good amount of rest and Inuyasha seems absolutely fine now." I tell them.

"That's wonderful, how do you feel Inuyasha?" Sango asks.

"Good, being near death, it kind of made me feel reborn in a way. _ and I are going to do something important today." Inuyasha says informing them.

"Oh, what will you guys be doing?" Sango asks me.

"Well, I know this may sound selfish but, I told Inuyasha that I want to see again, so Inuyasha and I are planning to find some informations on gods and goddesses because the divine can perhaps help me." I say to them lowering my head.

"Oh, no judgement but when did you decide to want to officially see again?" Miroku asks.

"I know, it sounds completely selfish and why would someone like me, should go and find a divine being and ask them to help regain my sight back when it is fate for me to be blind." I say with a depleted sigh.

I realized, why should I? I'm not anyone special. I shouldn't deserve any special treatments. I feel depleted all of a sudden. I let out a sigh, but after a while I feel a big strong and reassuring hand holding mine. I lift my head up in surprise.

"You gave up a lot for others, you definitely deserve this, sight is important to a person and to any living being. You were born with sight, but it was taken away from due to a gene inherited through your generation. It wasn't something you asked for but accepted, I want you to have your sight back. I want you to see me again. With that said, as a demon I'll do anything in my power to help you achieve that wish." I hear Inuyasha say.

I smile at his words, I squeeze his hand back as a gesture of gratitude.

"Indeed, you have gave up a lot and accepted life as it is, it's not wrong to wish for something. That's why dreams and goals exists, it gives us a purpose in life. Wishing to regain one's sight, it's a wish that no one has a right to judge on. Sango and I will be here to support you, and if you need us to help you just ask." Miroku says with kindness in his voice.

"Thank you so much, thank you." I say bowing to them.

"Say, do you know any gods or goddesses that can grant wishes?" I hear Inuyasha as them.

"I'm sure the majority of the deities can grant wishes but only certain types, and most of them have certain requirements. I'm not really good with myths but I do know Ameterasu, Miroku do you know any others?" I hear Sango asking Miroku.

"I may be a monk but it's not like I had a lot of time to study on deities in my youth. Let's see, there are many but they are from long long ago, perhaps if you go to our local archives you may find something." Miroku says.

"Thank you for the suggestion." I reply with a smile.

"Let's go if we're done, we got a lot to search." I hear Inuyasha say.

"Indeed, it's better to start sooner, go, we'll take care of things here." Sango tells us.

After we finish eating, Inuyasha takes me by the hand and he guides us out, I can hear the birds chirping away. The gentle chimes of our bells fills my senses as Inuyasha leads the two of us towards the village's archives. The gentle footsteps from us are rhythmic. The air is light and fresh, I take a deep breath and exhale through my nose.

"Are you alright?" I hear Inuyasha ask me.

"Yes, of course, I'm just filled with anticipation, a bit nervous too." I tell him.

"Don't be, I'm sure that we'll find something. I'll run to the other side of the world if I have to." Inuyasha tells me with determination in his voice.

I smile at his consideration and love for me, I gently squeeze his hand to let him know that I appreciate it.

"I know Inuyasha, your consideration is enough. You know, even if we don't find anything, I'm content with the way things are now. I have you, I have all of my other senses, I have Miroku, Sango, and Shippo. I can't really ask anything more than that." I say to him.

"_…" I hear Inuyasha say slightly trailing off.

"I'm not sad, so you shouldn't be either. I'll be happy as long as I can hear your voice." I assure him.

Inuyasha squeezes my hand back, his warmth pulsing through me. After walking for a while we finally arrive at the archive, I can hear townspeople's voices talking outside. Inuyasha leads us inside guiding me every step because there are stairs. The sounds slowly dies down after the door closes, for a place of knowledge I assume quietness and serenity is a must.

"Wait here for a second, I'm going to ask where the celestial archives are." Inuyasha says.

I nod my head. He lets go of my hand and I hear the bell around his neck fading away slowly. I just stand where I am and I listen to paper flipping in every direction, far and near within this incased space. Sharp and clear, I can hear the quiet breathing of people as well. Although quiet but this place is filled with life. What senses can bring us and allow us to experience. I put my hand out slightly at my side little bit little to see if I can feel something, as I lift it up slightly it hits something hard. I then spread my fingers and flip my hand around and I properly feel it. Smooth hard surface, as I glide my hands along it I realize that it's a table, made of wood. I smile at the feeling, not soon after I hear the familiar gentle sound of chimes again.

"I got it, come." I hear Inuyasha say taking my hand into his again.

I smile and nod in response, he takes us further into the room, our gentle footsteps echoing beneath us on the wooden floor.

"The archive keeper said that there are a few books about celestial beings, hopefully we'll find a celestial being that can help." Inuyasha says.

"That's what we're hoping for. Can celestial beings walk on earth?" I ask him.

"I'm not sure but I think they can." Inuyasha says.

"Come on, you're a demon but you don't know? I mean your brother Sesshomaru is a demon but he can walk on earth?" I ask him with a chuckle.

"Hey, just because I'm a demon doesn't mean that I know things about the celestial, besides I'm a half-demon not a full demon so basically I never knew much about things outside of earth. Besides demons don't follow rules, they do whatever they want." Inuyasha says blowing a raspberry.

"Like you?" I ask him with a laugh.

"Hey!" Inuyasha retorts back.

I cover my mouth with my free hand as I try to suppress my laughter. I'm glad that we can joke around like how we use to. Good old times. Inuyasha helps me sit down at a table and he goes and retrieve books. As I wait for him, I begin to think. I don't think I'll be much of a help, because I can't see. But hopefully I have some knowledge. I then hear a thunk beside me that surprised me slightly.

"Here we go." Inuyasha says.

"How many are there?" I ask him.

"Uh….. 4?" He replies.

"Are there a lot of pages?" I ask him again.

"Uh… two of them are decent but the other two are pretty thick." He replies.

I can hear scratching sound, I'm guessing it's him scratching his thick hair. I let out a mental sigh but I tell myself to hang in there.

"Although I can't see, but I'll do my best." I tell him.

"_ you just need to be here with me, remember? I said that I'll be your official eyes now. I'll let you know if there are any important information." He tells me.

"Thank you Inuyasha." I reply back with a smile.

I then hear pages being flipped, heavy breathing accompanying it. I wish that I can help out, how I wish I can trade another one of my senses for my sight again. Time goes by, pages being flipped within non-consistent minutes. I don't know why but I start to think about life, what are things associated with life? Celestial beings are often associated with a specific thing, whether it's flowers, plants, animals, they all symbolizes with something. Life is short and fleeting what celestial beings associates that? I begin to stress out. As I come back to my senses, I realize that I haven't heard pages flipping beside me for a while.

"Inuyasha? Is everything alright?" i ask him.

"Ya, I just read a bunch of mythological stories and now I'm on a page with a bunch of deity names." He says.

"Can you tell me all of them?' I ask him.

"Ya sure, gods or goddesses?" He replies.

"Goddesses first?" I respond.

"Alright, Uhm let's see. Amanozako, Ameterasu, Ame-no Uzume, Benzaiten, Daikokuten, Hariti, Izanami, Kisshoten, Konohanasakuya-hime, Kukurihime, Marici, Tamayori-hime, Toyotam.." Inuyasha says going down the list.

Wait." I suddenly say, a name catching my attention.

"What is it?" He asks.

"Konohanasakuya-hime? Are there any information or story on her?" I ask him.

"Let's see…uh… uh… ya here, there's a legend on her." He says flipping through pages.

"Can you read it to me? I want to know more about her." I ask him again.

"Ya sure, but why her?" He asks me slightly confused.

"I don't know, something about her just seem to intrigue me. Her name contains "flower" and flowers are fleeting and part of life, delicate and worth nourishing. Perhaps, there's something about her that might be the one." I say furrowing my brows as I think.

"Alright, here goes." Inuyasha responds.

I nod, I think this Konohanasakuya-hime might help. I straighten my back and I wait for Inuyasha to tell me the legend of this goddess. My heart seem to be enlightened by new faith and belief.


End file.
